June 2012 - Silver Chips Print

Inspector Clouseau Uncovers Victory

Teachers retire

Blazers go green

By Michelle Chavez

By Zoërose Waldrop Blair celebrated the retirement of five of its current staff members at a retirement dinner held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring on May 29. The event consisted of cocktails, dinner, dancing and tributes to retirees Joseph Bellino, Cynthia Changuris, Frank Cohen, Lucyna Phair and Shelley Sherman.

The seven current staff members that make up the Retirement Committee organized the celebration’s invitations, food, decorations and program for the approximately 100 current and former staff members who attended.

Louis Hoelman, who works in the same department as Changuris, said he left the celebration reminded of retirees’ efforts to the Blair community. “I thought it was a really moving event. It was just amazing to see all of the people talking about such great loyal staff, people that have been dedicated to Blair for so long,” he said Claudine Biggs, Blair’s administrative secretary and member of the

see TEACHERS page 9

LEAH HAMMOND

The Commitee to Elect Inspector Clouseau, the winner of Puzzle Palooza 2012, celebrated its sucess at a field trip to Bohrer Park on Thursday, May 24.

Northwood employee taken into custody

By Michelle Chavez

Northwood High School media services technician Aaron Lamere was arrested on May 7 and charged with over a dozen counts of sex-related crimes, according to police reports. A letter signed by Northwood Principal Henry Johnson was sent home informing students about

the situation on the day of the arrest.

In the letter, Johnson said Lamere was put on administrative leave shortly after a parent contacted Montgomery County Child Protective Services and reported “inappropriate behavior,” but did not further specify the situation. Recent news re-

ports revealed the sex-related crimes Lamere was charged with included possession of child pornography, indecent exposure, sexual abuse of minors and third and fourth degree sex offenses.

Lamere’s administrative leave began in early March, according to Johnson’s newsletter,

and, according to news reports, he resigned from his position on March 7 while under investigation. At the time of his arrest, Lamere was charged with sex offenses that occurred with current and former Northwood students between early October

see NORTHWOOD page 10

DC Remembers Fallen Soldiers

Blair will be among the schools honored on June 1 for the Maryland Green Schools Ceremony and Youth Summit.

In an effort headed by ESOL teacher Karen Shilling, Blair gained the Maryland Green School certification this year and joined the ranks of the 57 schools in Maryland that have been certified. Shilling said that the title is mostly recognition, and comes with the right to fly a green flag outside of the school.

The application process is focused around a portfolio that reports all of the school’s “green” efforts. Efforts that can be entered in the portfolio vary from schoolwide energy-saving policies to individual students’ projects. To become certified a school must show its commitment to the environment and its conservation efforts.

Blair’s portfolio consisted of efforts in recycling, water conservation, energy conservation and sustainability. To demonstrate Blair’s commitment to the environment, the portfolio included photos of informative posters around the school as well as students working on gardens and removing ivy. The portfolio also included records of the amountof energy conserved and waste recycled at Blair each month.

The application was extremely thorough, said Shilling. “Our portfolio was nearly 20 pounds,” she said.

Due to the thorough nature of the certification, few high schools achieve the title of a Maryland Green School. According to Joanne Schmader, the Maryland Green School Coordinator, many of the aspects of the certification process are tailored towards smaller schools and therefore fewer high schools become certified. “Maryland Green School Certification is more difficult for high schools for several reasons. It is more difficult to show that the environment was a context for learning for all grades

see GREEN page 9

Psychedelic exploration

By Hannah Weintraub and Sarah Wilson

LEAH HAMMOND LEAH HAMMOND

The Memorial Day Parade drew tourists to the capital. The parade included bagpipe players, military officials, flag holders, high school marching bands and baton twirlers.

insideCHIPS Inside the Palooza: Columnist Puck Bregstone reflects on a week of cracking codes and solving riddles. see page 4

OP/ED 2

SOAPBOX 7

NEWS 8

Egypt to the US: Ramez Abadir shares the tricks of the DJ trade and the secrets to his success. see page 12

FEATURES 11

“We sound like such stereotypical LSD users, but it was really like a time machine. You can feel connected to other people regardless of everything, which is why we will, like, trip and talk to homeless people,” says Eva, a junior at Blair, of her second time tripping on LSD. It has now been almost 50 years since Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters left on their LSD-fueled cross-country bus trip. On the bus, passengers had similar experiences with LSD as Eva, describing the newly popular drug as “opening the doors of perception,” to create “a feeling of timelessness” and “cosmic unity

Best of Summer 2012: Tips on how to spend the hottest months of the year, all in metroriding distance. see page 18

ENTERTAINMENT 16 CHIPS CLIPS 21

on a higher level.” As the psychedelic music in the background has shifted from the Grateful Dead to The Doors to Animal Collective, drugs including LSD, hallucinogens, opium and “magic mushrooms” have retained a small cult-like following amongst teenagers. Like the acid heads and stoners before them, these teens often use drugs on a quest for enlightenment, experimentation, and escape. “To do drugs is the pursuit of the new and unknown, the pursuit of knowledge,” says Ryan, a junior and LSD user.

According to Monitoring the Future (MTF), a drug research

see DRUGS page 13

Sports Upswing: DC sports teams like the Nationals and the Redskins rack up fans. see page 25

LA ESQUINA LATINA 23 SPORTS 25

2 EDITORIALS

silverCHIPS

June 1, 2012

Stringent law inhibits liberty and education Recently, a hardworking student jailed for truancy exposed a troublesome discord between school policy and consideration for extenuating student circumstances.

After Texas honors student Diane Tran’s truancy record exceeded Texas’s maximum accepted absence rate, she was jailed for a 24-hour period and issued a fine. Texas judges justified their ruling under the rationale that the decision to jail Tran would serve as a deterrent to prospective truants in the area.

Initially, the judges’ reasoning appears to be justified, as an attendance policy is implemented to realize an objective that cannot be fulfilled if it is not fairly applied to all students. In Tran’s case, however, the rigidity of the attendance policy was intrinsically unfair.

According to news reports, Tran works two jobs in order to support her siblings and herself. Her parents are separated, and she occasionally finds herself without a place to stay for the night when her father is working. Other circumstances notwithstanding, Tran maintains her grades in her honors and Advanced Placement classes.

Policies should be designed to reinforce an expected student code of conduct and to chastise those who evade the rules; that much is fair. The fault in the verdict of Tran’s case is not in the policy itself, but rather in its interpretation. Regardless of Tran’s achievement as a student or her status as an income source for her family, Texas courts imprisoned Tran and imposed a fine upon her which she cannot afford.

Tran’s story exhumes what could potentially be a shortcoming of high school absentee policies nationwide. Laws like Texas’s truancy code apply a one-size-fits-all approach to the general student body.

This narrow approach inhibits any capacity for regarding individuals as being individual. It is dangerous to apply students who have limited control over their circumstances to a standard that is eager to label them as truants.

This year, Montgomery County re-installed the loss of credit policy, which states that a student may lose credit for a class after five unlawful absences in a semester. There are measures in place, however, to ensure that students have the opportunity to appeal the teacher for restoration of credit. It is the judgement of the teacher and not the district courts as to whether a student will be able to compensate for their absences.

When a student in MCPS faces loss of credit, it is up to their teacher whether to offer the student a chance to complete supplementary assignments in exchange for credit. The process is regulated by instructor discretion, and is an effective system under which apathetic students can still be punished. Had such a policy been implemented in Texas, however, Tran may have been spared the slammer.

The uncompromising manner in which Texas’s truancy law was implemented is an exemplar of an unwillingness to accommodate students facing extenuating conditions. Especially considering Tran’s situation, local officials’ heavy-handed approach seems unnecessary.

Students are disciplined for truancy because unexcused absences hinder the student from attaining the knowledge transmitted in a classroom setting. For high school truants, additional academic work serves to better correct the core of the problems caused by absenteeism.

For policies directed toward students, flexibility should be cardinal. Truancy is reversed by returning students to academia, not by confining them in a prison cell.

silverCHIPS Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 Phone: (301) 649-2864 http://silverchips.mbhs.edu Winner of the 2009 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Award Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown 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 Joseph Fanning’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.

Editors-in-Chief.............................................................................................. Emma Bergman, Sarah Wilson Managing Features Editors...................................................................................Ruth Aitken, Hannah Weintraub Managing Opinions and Editorials Editor....................................................................Puck Bregstone Managing Entertainment Editor...............................................................................Peter McNally Managing News Editors..................................................................Michelle Chavez, Katelin Montgomery Managing Sports Editor........................................................................................................................Josh Schmidt Production Manager............................................................................................................Puck Bregstone Managing Design Editor.............................................................................................................Hannah Weintraub Design Team....................................................................................Ruth Aitken, Puck Bregstone, ................................................................................ Katelin Montgomery, Hannah Weintraub, Sarah Wilson Public Relations Director............................................................................................................ Michelle Chavez Outreach Coordinator............................................................................................................Katelin Montgomery Distribution Supervisor....................................................................................................................Peter McNally Newsbriefs Editor..................................................................................................................................Josh Schmidt Fact-Check Supervisor....................................................................................................................Ruth Aitken Extras Editor.............................................................................................................................Katelin Montgomery Executive Business Director.................................................................................................Nick Seidell Executive Communications Director......................................................................................................Mac Keller Executive Advertising Director.......................................................................................................Adrian Craig Executive Fundraising Manager......................................................................................................Mac Keller Page Editors......................................................Ruth Aitken, Emma Bergman, Puck Bregstone, Michelle Chavez, ...............................................................................................Peter McNally, Katelin Montgomery, Josh Schmidt, ..............................................................................................Zoërose Waldrop, Hannah Weintraub, Sarah Wilson Copy Editor...............................................................................................................................................Paul B. Ellis Spanish Page Adviser....................................................................................................Dora N. Santiago-González Spanish Page Editor.........................................................................................................Kelly Ventura Spanish Page Writers............................................................. Janett Encinas, Anilu Martinez, Claudia Qui ñ onez Editorial Board...........................................Ruth Aitken, Emma Bergman, Puck Bregstone, Sarah Wilson Editorial Cartoonist...................................................................................................................................Xixi Chen Managing Photo Editor...........................................................................................................Tolu Omokehinde Photographers...................................................................... Leah Hammond, Clare Lefebure, Ellie Musgrave Managing Art Editor................................................................................................................................Xixi Chen Artists.............................................................................................................Julia Bates, Xixi Chen, Tatyana Gubin Sports Writer.......................................................................................................................Josh Schmidt Puzzle Editor........................................................................................................................................Devin Rutan Professional Technical Adviser....................................................................................................Peter Hammond Adviser.............................................................................................................................................Joseph Fanning

XIXI CHEN

Importance overrides timeliness Story placement should be based on priority

By Ruth Aitken The front page of the April issue prominently proclaimed headlines like “Course offerings change,” “Math raps engage students” and “Blair hosts prom dress drive.”

Only a miniscule teaser at the bottom corner of the page advertised the article “Blair community reacts to death of Simon Miranda”, which was hidden on page ten beside an ad for prom hairstyling.

The story chronicled aspects of Miranda’s life, as well as the community’s reverberating sadness at the loss of a student, peer, and friend. The school community’s collective grievance over Miranda’s death was a major thread throughout the piece.

The rationale for not placing the Simon Miranda story on the front page, however, was that it was not “timely.” Miranda’s passing was over spring break, and the paper came out weeks later. Silver Chips tries to be timely with news stories in order to make the issue relevant when it comes out, but how can we best balance timeliness and pertinence?

In this case, we prioritized stories about class schedules over the tragic news of the death of one of our own peers. Unfortunately, the April issue stressed the journalistic value of timeliness over consideration both of the reader’s interest and of Miranda.

If we are to be a representation of the community, then we need to align our priorities with those of our audience. When an event impacts the community to the extent that Miranda’s death impacted us,

it warrants a page one status.

Page ten simply does not offer the Miranda story the prominence

Ombudsman Ruth Aitken it commands. The least we could have done for our peer would have been to emphasize the portion of our paper dedicated to him.

The front page of the paper is the coveted spot for the most pressing of news stories. The reader’s first impression of the issue is the front page; some students might not even open the paper if no story or teaser on the front page attracted them.

The Silver Chips layout is made according to a budget that dictates where each story should be placed within the paper. Oftentimes, stories are written and placed in the paper in the week before distribu-

Web Exclusives Check Silver Chips Online (http://sco.mbhs.edu) for constantly updated news, features and entertainment — and make sure to be on the lookout for these upcoming stories: •

Summerchic- What stylish Blazers will be sporting this summer

•

Gender equality has no wardrobe- Clothes are a personal liberty

•

#Twitterfamous- Blazers find fame on social networking sites

tion in order to include “timely” news. But Silver Chips had ample time to consider the placement of the commemoration of Miranda’s death. It was a disagreement among the staff about whether we had time to rearrange the paper that led to the story running on page ten. We failed to consider that the way in which our articles are presented can transmit a message as meaningful as the content itself.

As we are anticipating the new school year, our staff is adjusting in order to produce the paper without our graduating seniors. Silver Chips is under new student leadership for the upcoming year, and we aim to change organizational priorities. As our senior writers graduate, we welcome our rising junior writers. We hope that the influx of new voices will provide a fresh perspective, and that we will be able to learn from our mistakes.

Comments, questions or suggestions? silver.chips.ombudsman@gmail.com

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to access Silver Chips Online

Corrections Junior Fen Kemp was mistakenly referred to as “she” in the April issue.

The left photo for the April page ten Simon Miranda story should have been credited as courtesy of MBHS. The right photo should have been credited to Leah Hammond.

silverCHIPS

PRO/CON 3

June 1, 2012

Service trips are an effective way to couple personal growth with positive change.

YES:

NO:

Service trips are an effective way to garner interest and funds for developing nations.

Puck Bregstone In 2007, a team of delegates in Hacienda Vieja, El Salvador from a Silver Springbased service-learning program called International Partners confronted a terrifying reality. An impoverished young girl named Stephanie, who they had met in the village, would die that year if she did not receive heart surgery. Stephanie’s family could not afford the few hundred dollar, it would cost for the operation. The delegation returned to the U.S. and raised enough funds to start a program for the community of Hacienda Vieja for medical costs, one of which was Stephanie’s successful heart surgery.

Service trips are an effective way to create lasting positive change—simple as that. These trips are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer their participants the chance to be part of an organization while still having a summer adventure. The participants travel to an area in need of relief and use the funds they’ve raised to finance a service project in that area. Students in high school and college organize service trips to developing nations all over the world. Service trips empower people in the worst living conditions to take a step towards education, health care, and infrastructure. These projects create permanent change because they are repeated year after year and have a cumulative effect. They garner interest from the American public and trips create concrete, personal experiences and conscious, concerned citizens both in the United States and in the areas receiving relief.

The effects of these projects have become more powerful in the last couple decades.

One-time trips turn into longer-term programs and volunteers continue their service. Service trips’ commitment to specific communities does not just benefit the annual crop of international travelers but also locals. Consequently, service programs aim to train grass roots leaders who are native to the distressed area and can carry on the work projects all year long. These leaders consult with the community and determine which projects are most urgent. As these local leaders are developed, leaders of service programs can plan return trips to these communities. Bonds are formed between communities that last for years.

American citizens are not known for doling out hundreds of dollars each year to small communities in El Salvador. With the increasing popularity of Service Trips, however, it has become a common occurrence for relatives and friends to write checks so that students can travel on a

Creating change in one’s own community can have universal benefits greater than those of international service trips.

service project. Service projects carried out Ghana, Tanzania, Bali, Thailand, India, by dedicated young adults are an excellent Ghana, Galapagos Island, Peru, Dominican way to gather the resources of the AmeriRepublic, Costa Rica, and Guatemala: all can public. Americans know exactly where are exotic locations offered by one of the their money is going and they trust that en- many service trip providers. Volunteers thusiastic high school and college students travel to one of these destinations in order will be able to use their resources wisely to help with volunteer projects and conand effectively. Adults are more likely to struction while engaging in tailor-made graciously receive a pitch for money from a experiences designed to foster cultural student they know well than a pitch from a understanding. Every year, students flock charity they have never heard of. to these experiences, offering up thousands While the developing area is often a of dollars of tuition per person while right major benefactor of service programs these here, in the District of Columbia metropolitrips are an incredibly rewarding experitan area, hundreds of thousands of resience for the students as well. Young dents struggle with poverty Americans have the chance related issues and are to understand other overlooked. cultures and become Acconscious of the cording many people the D.C. who live in Fiscal abject povPolicy erty. These Instiprograms tute, “build one in character,” five as some D.C. like to resisay, and dents while the lives intended below benefit is the not to Amerpovican comerty line, munities, those making it involved have one of the an experience that poorest major helps them become cities in the conscious, caring and United States. In concerned individuals who addition, the majority PUCK BREGSTONE are an asset to their communities of these poor residents are back home and better global citizens. Like below the age of 15. Accordingly, D.C. has the Peace Corps, the venerable institusome of the largest food banks and charition started during the Kennedy years has table services and receives large amounts projects that are equally impactful to the of government aid. Still, D.C. struggles to communities they aid as to the Americans quell the epidemic of poverty that is ramwho volunteer their time and resources. pant in the district.

These programs, corps and trips are This is not to say the problems related some of the most meaningful ways to to poverty in underserved areas around the perform charitable acts. Not only are they world are not as important as those in our powerful forces for change in distressed own backyard. Still, in many cases, the up areas both in the United States and abroad, to $7,000 spent on travel, boarding, food but they create enduring change with anand other travel expenses often unrelated to nual return trips. Michael Brown and Alan the actual community service would go furKhazei, the founders of City Year, started ther if it were put towards local charities in their organization with the vision that one the capital area. With the global service trip, day the most commonly asked question this hypothetical $7,000 fee gets split up of a young person will be, “Where are between room and board, travel excursions you going to do your service year?” Their staff salary, possibly airfare, and finally the vision has never been closer to being realservice project. When donated to a reputa-

Peter McNally

ble charity, the majority of the money is able to be applied directly to the project funding, with only a small fraction designated for administrative and business expenses.

In addition to being a more direct method of support, opting to support local charity reduces the amount of resources and energy spent on transportation and other extraneous aspects of global service trips.

In going on service trips all over the world, many point to the personal growth that can be achieved by these trips as a major motivation for participating. Equally fulfilling experiences, however, can be achieved through helping people within one’s own community or neighboring communities. Although the projects take place closer to home and the same language is spoken, there is plenty of opportunity for adventure within a ten-mile radius.

As previously mentioned, large portions of D.C.’s impoverished are young adults themselves, creating a large opportunity for trans-socioeconomic connection based on generational commonalities. There is also ample opportunity for improved cultural understanding To say that there is not a cultural difference between Silver Spring and Anacostia is fundamentally wrong. The understanding and cultural exchange possible enables more unification within the local community which can lead to more intense change and serious reform.

Coupled with the greater efficacy of money donated locally, volunteering locally can make major strides in addressing D.C.’s poverty issue. When members within the community move to make their communities stronger the results empower more people to join in the cause. When an entire community is able to be more self-sustainable and supportive, that only heightens its ability to reach out and help other communities in need. If we all look inward to improve our empathy for the underserved and our understanding of these social issues, we help communities, states and the nation to make more effective, lasting and meaningful change in countries that do not have the resources of opportunities to fully help themselves.

Opting for local service projects around the world is not neglectful of other problems in other countries but instead is a necessary investment for more effective global change to take place. Although large global service trips can provide some immediate relief for small communities in other countries, they are not the most effective way to achieve long lasting change.

voiceBOX “They are an important way to help because you can get people to do hands on work.”

“No, because there are other ways to help communities in need.”

-sophomore Alimatu Tarawally

-junior Allison Whitney

“Yes it puts a human front on the suffering involved and gets even more people interested.”

-sophomore Alexander Devereux

“No, there’s a lot of different situations where certain things would work best.”

-sophomore James Taylor

“Yes because they will have more houses and businesses.”

-freshman Marjorie Martinez

4OPINION

silverCHIPS

June 1, 2012

A massive success for Puzzle Palooza competition Puzzle competition bonds Blazers over a week of complex mind games

By Puck Bregstone A personal column Around 7:25 last Monday morning about 255 Blair juniors and seniors crowded into the 310’s hallway while Mr.Stein dressed in a massive sombrero bellowed “Puzzle Palooza!”

Puzzle Palooza is the country’s premier puzzling competition that involves 17 teams of 15 puzzlers who work on puzzles for three days and a final fourth day where all puzzlers go on a trip riddled with surprises, awards, and, in an unexpected twist, more puzzles.

The entire event is organized by the Puzzle Lords, a group of twitter savvy and occasionally witty magnet teachers who spend all year slaving away to build 15 perversely difficult puzzles and organize the weeklong fiesta that is Puzzle Palooza. Being a frequent patron of the 310s hallway for math help, I was recruited early on by Puzzle Lord Stein.

The day started out great with lots of spirit. Each team was assigned to run a campaign and had to choose a candidate and slogan.

The campaigns would be competing for delegates, which was a fancy way of saying that we were split into teams and had to get the most points to beat the other teams. Campaigns got inventive, pulling out a wide range of

candidates including Kim Jong-il, Voldemort and Teddy Roosevelt.

My team brilliantly chose Dr. Coleman as our candidate and got cracking coming up with slogans using his classic mantra, “I will wait eight seconds.” Somewhere along the line occupy Wall Street got mixed in and our slogan became #occupyyolo.

After choosing team names, we got to puzzling. Each puzzler received a copy of the long awaited puzzle packet revealing the Palooza’s legendary, sophisticated and perplexing ten puzzles. At Coleman headquarters, everyone got to work immediately. Several magnet guys started rushing through a crossword puzzle while a gaggle of magnet girls started working on a cipher. I fumbled through several puzzles not sure what to work on and eventually joined a group of juniors starting a puzzle titled, “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land, The Solution is His Land.” Below this title was a staff of music that if sung sounded like the tune of Puff The Magic Dragon. The answer, if you know the lyrics, is Honalee.

We rushed to a computer and sent in the answer only to receive a measly 13 delegates. This means that four other teams had already solved this puzzle. Despite how clever we thought we were, roughly 60 other people on the third floor were faster at being just

as clever as us. It’s not a consoling thought, but we pushed on.

One of the best puzzles was “The Twitter’s the Thing.” Each

either to help or taunt us on our puzzling. Lord Stein took a liking to our group and, at one point, refused to leave the room until

LEAH HAMMOND

A Puzzle Palooza team sat down to ponder over a puzzle they were given at Bohrer Park on Thursday, May 24. team was given a Shakespeare quote and was told to summarize their quote using seven words.

Puzzlers were given the cryptic instructions to post their teams’ summary to Twitter. Teams used each others tweets to uncover different quotes. In the end, the first letter of each quote could be lined up to spell the solution: Babylon.

During the three days of riddling and ciphering, puzzle lords drifted ominously by our room

our entire team had taken a look at a particularly nasty anagram.

The most important part of Puzzle Palooza is your team. While some students can blast through puzzles, most puzzles in the end require 15 sets of eyes to be solved. That is the beauty of the event. All types of students are needed. Certain puzzles cannot be solved without computer programming skills, while other puzzles are impossible without an

abundance of Shakespeare trivia.

In a county that likes to divide and separate, Puzzle Palooza is a unifying force.

On the final day, all the participants piled into school busses and drove to Bohrer Park for a day of undisclosed physical activities and five more horrifyingly cryptic puzzles. Teams participated in four-legged races with three people, speed golf with really small, crappy clubs and a twisted physiological game of Puzzle Lord Schafer Says. Whichever team completed the challenge first was handed their puzzle and the team would run screaming to their puzzling positions. At this point our team had fully adopted the occupy theme and brought along picket signs reading, “puzzles over profit,” and, “We are the eight percent.”

Sleeping in during HSA week mornings feels good, but solving puzzles feels amazing.

My team had problems early on with splitting up too often into small groups. Near the end we began to work as a team to solve the puzzles. The experience of a team of 15 people staring at an anagram, spit balling until they are blessed with the experience of communal elation is why people do puzzles and why I hope Lord Stein continues to bellow “Palooza” for years to come.

Public transportaiton scandel shakes community’s faith Embezzlement scandal reveals unethical practices among Metro employees

By Katelin Montgomery An opinion There are 217.2 billion rides on the Washington Metro trains every year. As Americans have increasingly come to demand transportation that is both environmentally sustainable and affordable, it is an understatement to say that Public Transportation is an important part of society. Because of the high dependence by the public, the Washington Metro Area Transit Association (WMATA) needs to follow their goals and uphold their responsibility to these customers.

However, last year’s internal investigation by the transit authority’s inspector general found that employees in the planning department have done just the opposite. The workers abused their company credit cards to buy unnecessary and expensive personal items including video cameras, gift cards, Amazon Kindles, and even Beats headphones.

Although the investigation happened last year, WMATA is still hurting for money and is creating a fare increase of approximately five percent. The increase was voted on in April and will become effective July 1.

In the inspector general’s report, he calls into question $10,000 worth of purchases.

He discovered that employees tried to disguise some of the spending by entering descriptions of seemingly legitimate purchases. In all, there were 55 instances of inaccurate descriptions being entered or no

descriptions being entered at all.

Metro also tried to cover up spending by blacking out line items on reports. And they didn’t stop there; they even went so far as to justify their not releasing these reports until earlier this year, by claiming it was an invasion of personal privacy.

This justification is absurd, and Metro riders have the right to know that the money that they spend goes to keep the metro running or towards bringing

that even one dollar was spent inefficiently calls into question the integrity of the entire organization especially when WMATA is raising metro prices. This leads the public to ask if the price of fairs is right and if they could be paying less for the same service.

With all the money they are spending to make improvements such as adding more tracks and investing in better bus service, they cannot afford to allow employees to buy luxury personal items with even a fraction of taxpayer dollars.

On WMATA’s website, they list five strategic goals, but spending money in this way directly conflicts with two of them. The first conflicting goal is Goal 3: “Use every resource wisely,” and the second is Goal 5: “Maintain and Enhance Metro’s image.”

With this abusive spending on credit cards, the planning department is certainly

not effectively using resources to reach their full potential, instead they are squandering money that could be used within their department to increase productivity.

It is also ironic that one of their goals specifically states that they want to enhance their image. By wrongfully spending the money of taxpayers and hardworking metro riders, they do nothing but tarnish their reputation with the very public that local governments are subsidizing them to serve.

WMATA’s sloppiness with their money and management with this incident can also lead their customers to wonder if problems like this one carry on to other departments. Until WMATA can learn to manage their money effectively, consumers should not be asked to pay for their mistakes.

Art Corner Welcome to the Art Corner — a space where Silver Chips artists share their perspective on the issues of the day, or simply show off a piece of art they have been working on. an end to the delays and XIXI CHEN single tracking nightmares that have continued to plague the DC area —not to fill the pockets of planning department executives or to be spent on gourmet lunches with fancy door prizes.

This frivolous spending is unacceptable because while WMATA is technically not a government agency, they do receive government funding from DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

According to their website, they need this funding to cover the shortfall that isn’t paid for by fares and revenue from advertising.

Even though the amount of money spent was only $10,000, a number that could easily be deemed insignificant in relation to WMATA projected $2.5 billion dollar budget however Metro officials project a $103 million dollar deficit for FY2013. The fact

EVA SHEN

silverCHIPS

June 1, 2012

OPINION 5

Online course requirement ignores the individual Virginia schools’ online component is incompatible to current academic needs

By Zoë Rose Waldrop An opinion Picture the best teacher you’ve ever had. The image that came into your mind is most likely associated with thoughts of patient explanations and a great dedication to students. This teacher is able to respond to the needs of individuals in his class. He is caring, nurturing and intelligent. Now picture the best computer you’ve had.

Notice something? None of the same descriptors come to mind.

This is because no computer can fill the role that a trained professional can.

Unfortunately, Virginia would disagree. On Thursday, April 5, a bill was signed into law requiring that all Virginia high school students take at least one online course before graduating. This new regulation will apply to the upcoming freshman class of 2013-14 and will have no effect on current high school students.

The new online course requirement is just another hoop that high school students are forced to jump through on their way to a diploma. The most blatant of all faults in this decision is of course the fact that many students do not have easy access to computers outside of school. By requiring all students to complete an online course, the school board forces students without a computer at home to seek access to one.

Students with limited options will be forced to seek out a public library or pay for computer use at an internet café. This would be at the very least on a weekly basis until the end of the course.

The requirement is therefore an unreasonable amount of responsibility and effort

added on the students’ already heavy loads.

Furthermore the class would only disadvantage the poorest students. Any public school with that expectation is only promoting inequality.

Each student is different and learns in different ways. Some are visual, some aural, some verbal, some kinesthetic, some interpersonal and some intrapersonal learners. The majority of these students’ rely on face-to-face interaction.

The new online course requirement is just another hoop that high school students are forced to jump through on their way to a diploma.

How can the school board of any state justify forcing students of varying learning styles and needs to work isolated on a computer outside of school? This requirement may start just as one course but the trend to more computer reliant classes is a dangerous path for schools to continue on.

The less personalized and interactive school becomes, the more disadvantaged students of varying learning styles become.

The decision was made for the sake of “expanding virtual education” but this is not valid reason. Requiring an online class forces students to devote even more time outside of school to academic work,

a portion of a student’s day that has been increasing for decades.

Some students already spend upwards of six hours on “homework” assignments.

Assuming that these students somehow achieve the medically recommended minimum of eight hours of sleep and one hour to get ready for school in the morning, a student has about four hours of free time Still, this does not account for time spent at school clubs, sports or any other afterschool activity, as well as time spent on household chores, eating dinner or working a paying job.

When are students meant to budget time to then also take an entire online course?

Unless schools are willing to provide a block of class time in which students are provided with access to school computers, this is an entirely unreasonable and unfair demand on students.

Furthermore, who is to say that students do not already reach a reasonable level of computer competency by the time they finish the fourth year of high school? Students are required, a word used far too often in school, to submit typed essays, projects or written assignments on a nearly weekly basis. PowerPoint and video presentations are instrumented in classrooms

as early as elementary school.

Students are given time in class to work on computers and are shown new resources and ways to utilize computers constantly.

There is already a school tech course requirement in place that often coincides with furthering a student’s computer use and understanding.

There are so many questions regarding this decision that need to be answered.

The real question is this—why are Virginia schools so quick to jump into this unreasonable system?

PUCK BREGSTONE

6 ADS

June 1, 2012

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June 1, 2012

Blazers speak out

SOAPBOX

7

Freshmen Special!

If you could raise a farm animal which would it be and why?

What are your plans for the summer?

see story, page 14-15 “If I could raise a farm animal I would raise a cow and then ride it all the way to Chick-fil-a.”

-freshman Camilla Arias “I would raise a pig because I bet I could get some tasty bacon from that pig.”

-freshman Claudio D’Ambrosio “I would raise all of them because my mom grew up on a farm, so it would be a great experience on how my mom grew up as a kid.”

-freshman Eli Parry-Giles

ART BY TATYANA GUBIN

“A pig, because they are intelligent, live long lives and are really fun to draw.”

-freshman Alex Fairhall

Do you think that drugs affect the culture at Blair? see story, page 13

see story, page 18 “What don’t I plan to do this summer?.”

-freshman Ashe Durban “This summer I’m going to spend five weeks in Chian Mai, Thailand.”

-freshman Alexis Redford “I’m going to softball camps like Hoelmann’s camp and 5 star athletics camp and I will hopefully have my quincenerra and hopefully teach younger kids how to play softball.”

-freshman Maria Cruz “During the summer I’m going skydiving with my Uncle. Also, I’m going to Miami just to go to the beach.”

-freshman Elsy Cordova “Even though I am a freshman this year I am planning this summer to complete my capstone and present it either next year or my junior year.”

-freshman Lul Mohamud

“Yes I feel that drugs influence the culture of Blair, have you seen how crazy people are here?”

-freshman Brian Orellana “Drugs are a huge part of high school wherever you go.”

-freshman Sammy Wichansky “Drugs do not influence the cultre of Blair at all, just unfortunately people at Blair who do drugs influence others.”

-freshman Jennifer Dominguez “Drugs definetely influence the culture of Blair because they are an important source of artifical ‘happiness’ for many people.”

-freshman Graham Lindsley

Do you think that the cost of metro fare is too high? see story, page 4

Do you follow any DC sports teams?

“I don’t think that Metro price are fair because the economy is very bad now and that’s not helpful, espeically for students.”

-freshman Helen Kebede

see story, page 25

“I follow the Nationals because I like watching baseball and they’re doing well this year.”

-freshman Elyse Salpekar

“I think the metro prices are fair because it’s like paying for gas for your own car but it is way less.”

-freshman Margaret Crosson

“Lately, I’ve been following the Caps because they’re the only successful team so far.”

-freshman Anne-Olive Nono

“The metro prices are reasonable considering their efficiency.”

-freshman Wilson Liu

“I support D.C. United because they even defeated A.C. Milan.”

-freshman Frank Corderi

14 63 20 5

chipsINDEX

Number of Academy Award nominated films that will be playing at silverdocs, a documentry festaval sponsored by Discovery Channel Percentace of Blazers who say they might enjoy going on a service trip

Number of Memorials in Washington, D.C.

Months it takes for a chicken to reach adulthood

250 86,000 25 54

Number of Puzzlepalooza participants this year The 2012 budget in dollars of the Thunderbolts, a DC baseball team Average length, in minutes of a high from one hit of crack cocaine

Number of mixtapes DJ Ramez Abadir has made

Chips Index compiled by Katelin Montgomery with additional reporting by Sabrina Bradford, Emanuel Ceron-Rohena, Carina Hernandez, Isaac Jiffar, Cindy Monge and Angelina Yu.

Quote of the Issue

“ ” A DJ needs to be able to interact with a crowd, to smile in the faces of two or three thousand dancing people. senior Ramez Abadir

see CAIRO, page twelve

8

NEWS

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June 1, 2012

A year in review: Principal Renay Johnson

By Michelle Chavez “Hello, staff and students. This is Ms. Johnson, your principal.”

The announcement was followed by confused looks of students wondering why the new principal, Renay Johnson, was on the intercom.

It is not the beginning of the year anymore and Blazers have gotten used to Johnson’s announcements, the ones about upcoming events, school policies and, most important of all, the ones about “[pulling] up those pants and [pulling] down those skirts.” By now they’ve realized she is no Darryl Williams; Johnson is different.

With the help of staff and students, Johnson’s beginning-of-theyear goals have become a reality.

As the year comes to a close, the Blair community reflects on whether her accomplishments have really helped improve Blair.

Blazer Hotline The Blazer Hotline is an anonymous tip line used to inform security about any suspicious activity, said Head of Security, Cedric Boatman. Boatman had an available security cell phone line and came up with the idea of a Blazer Hotline, which he presented to Johnson during the summer transition. Johnson took the idea and, with the help of Boatman, further developed it into what it is today.

Johnson said her daughter helped make the posters that were posted around the school with the Hotline’s number. Boatman personally visited local stores and gave each a flyer about the Hotline.

During community meetings, Johnson and Boatman passed out flyers to members of the commu-

nity so that everyone could be involved in efforts to increase school security.

The Hotline has fulfilled its purpose, Boatman said.

He has received tips from students, staff and the community, which have contributed to making the school a safer campus for students.

mally hang out with,” he said. Despite this, Nelson said he had fun

and that he believes Johnson had noble intentions. “I think it was a good idea in principle, but for it to have the effect she wants, it needs to be better organized. They need to find a way to get people to hang out with people who they normally wouldn’t hang out with,” he said.

Principal’s Advisory Council

The First Senior Unity Day Johnson’s experience as Paint Branch High School’s assistant principal helped her plan Blair’s Senior Unity Day. Johnson believes the purpose of the day is to bring seniors together. Boatman sees Senior Unity Day as a refreshing idea.

“We haven’t had that in Lord knows when,” he said.

Some students, like senior Adrian Nelson, didn’t think it fulfilled that purpose.

“It didn’t really unify anything because people who went hung out with people they would nor-

ELLIE MUSGRAVE

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

Above: Students participate in the SAT boot camp funded by Johnson’s grant writing. Below: Johnson actively participates in school events.

Johnson said the vision behind the Principal’s Advisory Council was to have one Blair student who has come from each of the nine feeder middle schools meet with her to share ideas on bettering the school. “We come together every week and talk about how to improve the school’s culture,” she said.

Council member Daniel Leventhal said that Johnson’s dedication to students through the Council has been beneficial. “It generally feels good to have an authority figure like the principal looking out for students’ well-being,” he said. “She loves it

when students talk to her about issues around the school.”

Grants

This year, Blair received grants for SAT and AP boot camps after Johnson organized a parent committee to focus on grant writing.

The committee has written grants for field trips, Kindles and boot camps. According to Johnson, Blair now has Kindles available to ESOL students, which, she hopes, will encourage them to read more.

Boot Camp Organizer Dirk Cauley said the SAT boot camp has attracted an average of 50 students everyday despite AP exams, which took place during two of the weeks of the camp.

Future Plans

Johnson plans to continue making adjustments to Blair. On May 14, she received an email confirming that the first set of benches had been ordered for Blair’s campus.

Johnson hopes to have the benches in by the end of this school year.

She also said she will continue her efforts to get more grants for the upcoming school year.

In terms of smaller details, Johnson plans to add framed photos in the media center of students at prom so that underclassmen can know what to look forward to in their later years at Blair. She also wants to make the bike racks more Blair-themed. She hopes to have new red bike racks with the letters “MBHS” on them.

Johnson said she has had a great year and hopes to continue making improvements. “Everything’s a first,” she said. “Next year I will have more experience.”

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NEWS

June 1, 2012

Blair raises its green flag Blair teachers announce Blair is Maryland Green School certified from GREEN page 1 since there are so many subjects… so it requires cooperation from multiple departments, a larger level of support and coordination,” said Schmader.

Out of the 237 Maryland schools, very few are Maryland Green School certified.

Blair is now one of three high schools in Montgomery County that is certified. The process is designed in a way that achieving certification is made more complicated for high school and larger schools.

In order to become certified, schools must make environmental efforts during school hours. The Maryland Green School certification requires that at least ten percent of the school’s teachers incorporate environmental

lessons in class. Schmader said this also contributes high schools’ difficulty attaining certification. “Since high schools have a large staff, the professional development requirement is more challenging,” she said.

Though the process to become a Maryland Green School is typically a two-year process, Shilling and members of Blair’s green club began in February after attending a Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education conference. Shilling says that following the conference, she and a handful of Blair supporters worked tirelessly towards the March 31 deadline. “Since February, I’ve been doing four to eight hours of work on this a day,” she said. Shilling was able to accomplish the two-year procedure in one year.

end of year retirement from RETIRE page 1

Retirement Committee, said the ceremony made the Blair community feel closer. “It was just a wonderful gathering and there was just a great feeling of comradery,” she said.

Joe Bellino started teaching at Blair in 1974.

Bellino said he’s seen major changes during his time at Blair, especially in Blair’s demographics. “Other world hotspots have contributed to the increasingly international flavor of Blair,” he said.

Bellino created Silver International, a student newspaper written

by ESOL students, which he said he considers one of his proudest accomplishments.

He taught ESOL and English 10 during his time at Blair.

Cynthia Changuris, Blair teacher since 1983, worked her way up to be the physical education resource teacher. After 29 years of teaching physical education and 16 years of coaching Blair’s volleyball team, Changuris said she plans on focusing on personal activities.

Frank Cohen worked in the D.C. Public Schools system for 31 years before arriving at Blair. He worked in the math department for the past few years, and also taught foreign language and reading classes.

Lucyna Phair taught in MCPS for 31 years. She worked as a paraeducator for 12 years aside from teaching ESOL students and students with Autism. Phair said she plans to volunteer at a retirement community she recently moved to after leaving Blair.

Shelley Sherman worked in PG County before teaching in MCPS. She was a math teacher at Blair until 2004 when she was appointed the department’s resource teacher. A breast cancer diagnosis in 2008 led to her significant involvement in Suburban Hospital’s “Key to the Cure.” Sherman said she is now ready to retire at age 63.

English HANNAH WEINTRAUB Composition Assistant Mary Wild and Cafeteria Manager Maddalena Bianchini are retiring but did not attend the dinner.

Belinda Morlan, Bianchini’s replacement, planned a surprise event specifically for Bianchini on May 10. Bianchini worked at Blair for 16 years and retired earlier than expected. Morlan and other cafeteria workers said that she was on leave after surgery and was not cleared in May when she wanted to return. This led to her early retirement.

The amount of time that the five retired teachers taught combined...

+

+

+

+

equals over

100 years

LEAH HAMMOND

The green club, led by Shilling, worked on Blair’s landscape along with several other projects to improve the school’s environmental conscience.

9

10 NEWS

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Blair celebrates accomplishments of graduates Senior class receives awards for their academic and personal achievements

By Zoërose Waldrop The Blair community honored the senior class at Senior Awards Night on Monday, May 14. Hundreds of students and parents came out to acknowledge the variety of Blair students’ accomplishments.

The awards marked academic, artistic and athletic abilities of Blair’s many graduating students. Though all Blair seniors were welcomed to come, those nominated for an award were sent invitations. The threehour long ceremony progressed through various award categories, and started with a memorial to lost Blazers.

As recognitions began, the ceremony focused on students who received scholarships or won monetary awards from several private foundations. Students were then celebrated for outstanding public services. Recognition in this category varied from achieving high numbers of Student Service Learning hours to awards for gardening. As the night continued on, the awards shifted towards art and sport rec-

ognition. The evening ended with academic achievements within different school subjects. Students were invited up to the stage and recognized for outstanding performances in core classes.

to hake hands with every recipient.

The presenters varied with a wide array of non-staff presenters, including a marine who focused on Blair students in and entering the military.

Students reacted differently to the evening as a whole. One of common complaint was that the ceremony was too long and progressed too slowly. Senior Ian Silver-Gorges felt that the evening was tedious. “It seemed a bit pointless and a bit unnecessary because of the obscurity of most of the awards,” he said. SilverGorges received two awards, one for achievement in theater and another for his accomplishments in math. As the evening turned towards more general achievements in core classes the presenters consisted primarily of teachers of the matching department.

Though some students were more skeptical about the evening and its length, others found it to be very satisfying. Some students and teachers appreciated the event and opted to dress up for the occasion.

Getting up in front of parents and peers was very rewarding. senior Nathan Kung

Principal Johnson and the administrative staff oversaw the.

Johnson was in charge of handing out the majority of the awards, though several teachers and independent groups awarded certain students with the more specific awards. Johnson did not directly give each award but was on stage

Senior Nathan Kung was grateful for the experience.

“Getting up in front of parents and peers was very rewarding,” he said.

Kung also thought the evening evenly recognized people of all skills. “The awards didn’t stick to a specific group, the recipients were pretty diverse,” he said.

Though some noted that major scholarships did not come as surprises, the evening had unexpected twists. Becca Arbacher received a 1000 dollar scholarship from some of the starters of the magnet program. “I didn’t even apply or anything so I was really surprised,” said Arbacher.

Courtesy of Principal Renay Johnson

Sophomore Fresia Blanco was named one of Blair’s Ben Carson Scholarship winners and was also recognized at the awards night.

Teacher unions meet with MCPS Local high school staff member Employees reach a tentative agreement charged with several sex offenses

By Katelin Montgomery The Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) and its three employee organizations tentatively agreed upon contract provisions for fiscal year (FY) 2013. If the agreement is finalized, employees will be getting an average salary increase of approximately 3.4 percent but will have to pay more for medical care, specifically higher co-pays for prescription drugs and doctor visits.

Due to budget reductions in recent years, MCPS workers have had to forgo their cost of living increases for three years and have not received step and longevity increases for the past two years.

The proposed settlements must be presented to MCPS’s three teacher unions, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the Service Employees International Union Local 500 (SEIU) and the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP).

Each group will vote on the settlement and then the BOE will vote on it.

Marc Grossman, a social studies teacher and one of Blair’s building representatives for the MCEA thinks that the settlement will pass when voted on by the MCEA. “I see no signs of o p p o s i - tion and I am fairly c o n vinced it’s go-

KATELIN MONTGOMERY

ing to pass,” he said.

Grossman believes that the settlement is fair, despite co-pay increases. “We as teachers are lucky to have access to affordable, good healthcare. The increases in copayments that teachers are being asked to make are reasonable,” said Grossman.

David Stein, a math teacher and another MCEA building representative for the school, is in support of the agreement and plans on voting for it. He believes that the settlement will be well received by other voters. “We haven’t had a raise in the last two years—almost three. In a bad economy, this represents the school district’s commitment to employees,” he explained.

The allowance for this salary increase comes from the 2.1 billion dollar operating budget request from this year that was approved by the Montgomery County Council on Thursday, May 24. This is the first time in three years that the budget increase has met the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provision that is required by the Maryland state law in three years.

Because there was uncertainty about state funding for education, negotiations on this settlement were delayed. In April, the Maryland general assembly could not agree on a budget for FY2013 and had passed a spending plan that would have made large cuts to public education. In a special session two weeks ago however, they restored education funding to the previously excepted level.

MCPS superintendant Joshua P. Starr believes the funding increase is an important part of this year’s budget and that the agreement allows MCPS to recognize the work that its employees do in a way that is fiscally responsible.

The salary increases will cost the school system $20 million, which is less that one percent of the total budget. However, the total cost of the agreement will be $47 million.

This settlement only covers the mentioned provisions for FY2013 so another agreement must be created and voted on for FY2014.

from NORTHWOOD page 1

“Northwood had a similar case last year with a soccer coach, so this has happened before,” he said.

2011 and late February 2012.

In October 2010, a Northwood volunNorthwood PTSA President Yolanda teer soccer coach, Roger FernanMazyck said the arrest was dez, was arrested for sexual alarming for the Northabuse of a minor and a wood community. “We fourth degree sex ofare obviously confense. cerned whenever Ruiz believes allegations are this incident is made that yet another our stuindicator of dents may a flawed h a v e adminisb e e n tration. placed “[Adin an minisinaptrators] proshould priate be more situaaware... tion. when At this they see time, a teachthere er is is an maybe ongotoo close i n g to a stulegal dent,” inveshe said. tigation Thompinto the son said allegahe does not tions,” she feel threatsaid. ened by the Former incident. “There Blair student are always bad and current apples and as long as Northwood junior you look after yourself, Luis Ruiz confirmed you should be fine,” he said. that students suspected unPUCK BREGSTONE Mazyck says strong studentusual activity prior to Lamere’s administrative leave. “I never really made parent-administration relationships are imany contact with him, but he always gave a portant to keeping a secure environment.

“Regardless of the outcome of this specific weird vibe to all students,” he said.

Despite daily contact with Lamere, situation, maintaining open and honest Northwood sophomore Amanda Frew, communication between students and parwho anchored the morning announcements ents, students and the administration and show that the technician ran, never sus- parents and the administration is an absopected Lamere of anything unusual. “He lutely key component of maintaining stuwas very good friends with other teachers dent safety,” she said.

In his newsletter, Johnson reminded the at school,” she said. “I had no idea it would Northwood community that student safety happen.”

Former Northwood student and cur- is a priority and that anyone who has a rent Blair junior Jonathan Thompson was question should contact him.

He declined to make any statements resurprised by the Lamere incident, but Ruiz said the Lamere case did not come as a garding the Lamere case because it remains a sensitive topic, he said. shock to him.

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NEWSBRIEFS

NEWSBRIEFS

June 1, 2012

THEN:1958

11

County delays Costco hearings The hearings for the Costco gas station have been delayed once again. The hearings are important for zoning at the Westfield Wheaton shopping mall where the new Costco will be located. The delays are meant to push the hearings past the previously scheduled dates in June until after a county council bill targeting the gas station passes. The proposed bill would require that a gas station the size that Costco wants to be at least 1,000 feet from a public place. In this case, the Kenmont Swim & Tennis Club is within that range and would therefore disallow the creation of the gas station.

The hearings have previously been delayed four times for a multitude of reasons. This past April, Costco filed for special exceptions for their plans in order to move forward with the construction of the store and the gas station. The bill was also pushed back in order to give its opponents more time to analyze these special exceptions.

The Costco warehouse is planning on opening this coming October and the company would like to have the gas station to accompany the store. If the gas station is allowed, it would become the largest station in Maryland, with an expected twelve million gallons pumped annually.

SILVERLOGUE ARCHIVES

In 1958, Jean Weaver is crowned Queen of her dance and surrounded by her court.

& NOW:2012

Energy tax hike may be extended The Montgomery County Council is considering extending the energy tax rate in order to help with deficits in the budget. The meetings will reconvene on May 14th. The tax rate was raised in 2010 with an amendment that it would be ended this year. The average increase per household at the time was $150 and $1,400 for businesses annually. The council is now faced with fixing a $135 million budget gap. County executive Isiah Leggett (D) believes that extending the energy rate would be the best option, as it would generate an estimated $114 million. If the extension is not passed, then the council would have to find an alternate program to fund the budget and keep the county going. But, many council members believe that extending the hike would break trust with citizens who have been paying extra with the belief that the rate would be ended this year. While the council members will be the ones who debate the issue, it may come down to a referendum in which citizens get the vote.

Rockville rewards kids with bikes As part of the City of Rockville’s “Terrific Bike Program,” 29 children received a new bicycle, helmet, and riding lessons. The program gives bikes to kids in grades one through five who show responsibility and other mature traits. The program wishes to encourage this positive behavior and have the kids step up and become role models for not only younger children or siblings, but also for their peers. Those who received the bikes also received recognition at the Mayor and City council meeting.

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

King Bruce Yuen, along with Queen Kathy Luc, get their royal titles at Prom on May 19.

Firefighters honored in Rockville On Monday May 21 the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department honored fellow firefighters who have passed away. The fire department honored Robert Lewis, the first black fire chief of Rockville ,who died this past year. Thye also honored George Meads, who passed away in 1919. One of the first black fighters on the force, Meades was an inspiration to many of his fellow firefighters says Timothy Jones, president of the volunteer fire department. Jones led the ceremony after having done extensive research on the history of firefighting in Rockville. The celebration was held at Meads’ grave in Haiti Cemetery. Meads’ tombstone is important to the cemetery as it is one of the very few marked graves in the Black section of the cemetery that existed in 1919. Meads’ grave is now marked by a red flag that says “firefighter” placed in the ground beside the grave.

Metropolitan are gets improvements The Montgomery County fiscal 2013-2018 capital improvement program went into effect May 24th after gaining approval from the County Council earlier in the week. The council stopped its capital plan, which spent $295 million annually. County Executive Isiah Leggett spearheaded the approach of moving $60 million in funding towards the Bethesda South Metro Entrance. The County Council then increased the amount to $80 million. The Capital Crescent trail, which runs next to the proposed Purple Line route, will receive $49.5 million as well. In addition to both of these renovations the Wheaton station will be revitalized within the next six years.

With $66 million now dedicated to the station, the plans include a new 150,000 square foot headquarters for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The county plans on paying for these extra $32 million through several mehods. The county will increase its PAYGO (cash from their operating budget that could be used for agencies) from $35.5 million in fiscal year 2014 to up tp $55.5 for the remainder of the six year plan.

Newsbriefs compiled by Josh Schmidt, with additional reporting by The Gazette and The Silver Spring Patch.

XIXI CHEN AND JOSH SCHMIDT

HONORS • Junior Peter Asch won the Ben Carson award for scholarship and community service during an award ceremony in Baltimore on April 29.

• Junior Sam Zbarsky was named a member of the 2012 U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad Team on May 9. The team will travel to Slovenia to compete in the 2012 International Linguistics Olympiad from July 29 to August 4.

• Senior Chacha Wang was nominated a finalist in the US Presidential Scholars Program on May 2.

• Seperate Blair Enironthon teams placed first, second, third and fifth at the Montgomery County 2012 Environthon Competition.

• Senior Jessica Lu placed third at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium which was held from May 2 to 6.

12 FEATURES

Live from

By Ruth Aitken A DJ calmly surveys the crowd as one by one, clubgoers wander onto the dancefloor.

As the dancers’ heartbeats quicken, the DJ amps the beat. He smiles charismatically at the crowd before him.

The ability to gage the crowd, senior Ramez Abadir says, is the distinguishing factor between an average DJ and a great one. “A DJ needs to be able to interact with a crowd, to smile in the faces of two or three thousand dancing people,” he says.

Apart from being charismatic, Abadir believes an outstanding DJ needs to be able to assess the people’s movement. “You need to synchronize the beat of the set with the heartbeat of the people dancing in front of you,” Abadir says. “A normal heartbeat is around 100 beats per minute [BPM] and the DJ should start playing at an upbeat pace of around 120, but then he needs to be able to make that judgment of when to bring the BPM of the music up to 131 or so as the people start dancing.” DJs gain these abilities, Abadir says, only with experience.

Abadir had his first experiences with DJing in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, before moving to the United States for his senior year. He mixed his first album of songs as an eighth-grade graduation gift for his friends in 2006. Abadir’s friends shared the EP with their friends and families, and soon Abadir was playing parties and local outlets in Cairo.

Since then, Abadir has played in some of the highest-rated nightclubs in the world.

Though Abadir says DJing is only a hobby, his hobby is one that has propelled him to larger arenas.

Pressing Play In Cairo, Abadir and his friends were involved in the local party scene, which Abadir found unsatisfying. “I felt as if I could pro-

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June 1, 2012

vide better music,” he says.

Abadir’s first mixtape began to attract more attention within his area. “I started to get compliments from family and friends, but it was a small, wellconnected community in Cairo,” Abadir says.

“My family then shared my tape with their friends, who are the owners of bars and nightclubs.

When they liked it, I thought I’d explore [DJing] more.”

T h e a c - PHOTO COURTESTY OF RAMEZ ABADIR claim that Abadir’s CD drew soon translated to DJing opportunities, as he began to play at his friends’ parties. The more venues he played, Abadir says, the more people began to appreciate his DJing. “I started playing parties for not-so-close friends, and then I started playing school proms and school events, along with working on my second and third editions,” he says.

Because the owners of several nearby nightclubs were Abadir’s family friends, he began landing DJing gigs at local clubs. By the summer of 2010, Abadir played at Terrazzina Beach in Sharm El Sheikh every Saturday night. Abadir regularly played at the internationally known nightclub Pacha Sharm.

“Pacha Sharm is the 23rd best nightclub in the world,” Abadir says, smiling.

In 2010, Egypt held a nationwide DJ competition that attracted more than 200

Cairo

contestants. Abadir emerged as a finalist, and his ranking in the competition reaffirmed his focus on DJing. “I was the 14th best DJ in Egypt according to that competition,” he says.

“That made me realize that I can do this.”

The next track Just after Abadir completed his second and third mixtapes, however, he decided to move back to the United States to complete his final year of high school. “I was born here, but then I lived in Egypt all my life, in a very touristic area,” he says. “But I came to Blair for my senior year in order to be more prepared for college.”

Though his reputation as a DJ spread easily in his tightly knit community in Egypt, Abadir says that his popularity has not been as immediate in the DMV. Abadir attributes this divide to a difference in tastes between

his community in Cairo and the culture at Blair. “At Blair, electronic music isn’t as popular. People listen to more rap, R&B and hip-hop, and that’s prevented me from getting myself out there,” he says.

Differing tastes, however, have not hindered Abadir from sharing his music with the community. “Last month, I gave away about a hundred copies of my fourth edition in school,” Abadir says, “and a few weeks ago, I met with the managers of Fur nightclub.”

Primarily, Abadir has been focused on creating new editions rather than playing venues.

“In Maryland, I’ve made my fourth edition and have focused more on producing my own tracks ART BY XIXI CHEN so that I can distinguish myself,” he says.

Making mixes, making friends

Abadir says that he does not consider DJing a moneymaking venture but rather a hobby. In Egypt, Abadir generally DJed for free. “If I was given money, it was for plane tickets to fly from state to state or for other transportation costs,” he says. Abadir says that in Cairo, charging money for DJing was contrary to the atmosphere of generosity in his community. “It’s a cultural divide,” Abadir says. “Taking money for DJing in Egypt would not be the classiest thing to do.”

DJing, Abadir guesses, will be beneficial for social reasons once he gets to college.

“You never know when you’ll need a DJ... so when people are partying and they need a DJ, I can definitely do that,” he laughs.

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FEATURES13

June 1, 2012

a trip down a different road Art by xixi chen

from DRUGS page 1 report published by the University of Michigan, marijuana use has risen since the 1980s while the general public approval of drugs has decreased. Overall, the use of hard drugs has decreased amongst teens but still 50 percent of teenagers, including kids at Blair, are tripping and getting high despite growing public disapproval, social stigmatism, and high physiological and psychological risks.

a first time for everything

Side effects like flashbacks and addiction are elements of drug use that many users take into account before using. In attempts to keep students “above the influence”, Matt’s health teacher assigned his students to write a research paper about any drug.

Matt used the project as an opportunity to research LSD, a drug he was interested in using. After learning more about the drug, Matt he was no longer concerned about the consequences so he decided to start tripping himself. “After I researched it I realized I wanted to do it,” Matt says. “It’s one of the least dangerous drugs.”

As the music pounded at a local rave, Drug education Matt, a senior, and his friends passed around a joint and shared a few psilocybin mushFor many teens, drug education begins in rooms- commonly referred to as “shrooms” elementary school with students signing Red or “magic mushRibbon Pledges rooms.” As the and viewing marijuana began Above the Influto take its effect, ence commerthey prepared cials.

Shortly themsleves for after those “just their biggest trip say no” days of yet: acid. elementary and Within about 45 middle school minutes of dropbegins the conping acid, says flict in which Matt, he suddenly students who began to see colors use and those more vividly and who don’t sepato feel a floating rate around their sensation.

“You perception of feel very connectthe true dangers Professor of preventative medicine at ed with the people of drugs. Like University of Southern California around you,” he students consays. “You felt like Dr. Steve Sussman templating the you were part of choice of toking something bigger up or staying than yourself.” sober, modern medical science itself is ofAcid, a derivative of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), gained its notoriety in ten hard pressed to determine the extent to which drugs can endanger users. the 1960s with songs like “Lucy in the Sky Ryan believes that the typical health with Diamonds” and with Tim Leary’s adamant cult to the drug. In 1975, a little over class warning against drugs is largely six percent of high school seniors had used unfounded. “It’s a myth that drugs LSD, according to MTF. Today, according are bad. Drugs are great and everyone to the Maryland Adolescent Survey (MAS), should do it, they just have to do it right around 2.2 percent of Maryland twelfth and cultivate the benefits,” says Ryan graders have used LSD and shared in the who maintains that a strong sense of glowing feelings of camaraderie that Matt personal priorities is necessary before using drugs. and his friends experienced.

Dr. Steve Sussman, a professor of For many acid and hard drug users, a hit of marijuana is the first step into the world preventive medicine and psychology of trips and highs. Brandon started smoking at the University of Southern Califorin the summer between freshamn and soph- nia, believes that there is both truth and omore year. Reeling from a bad break up, exaggeration in what students learn today in health class. “Certainly, when trying to Brandon tried meth that same address drug use consequences, instructors summer while at Ocean City can get carried away with dramatwith his friends. In tenth ics, particularly dramatic grade, Brandon’s self consequences that are low medication turned probability, or take a long into an overdose time to occur,” says Susswhen he tried to man. “However, one can commit suicide also go to extremes on using a mixthe side of thinking that ture of cough there are no dangers. syrup and There are core consepills.

“This quences that are real.” year, I’m doIt is an accepted truth ing drugs soin the medical commucially and for nity that psychedelic the fun of it drugs can have lasting rather than to effects on brain develcombat depresopment, cause accidents sion,” says Branwhile users are high, and don. create a gateway to addiction.

Watching as their Ryan has personally estabfriends got high and lished a line between the non-adhearing stories of crazy dictive hallucinogens he uses and more trips convinced some Blazers to try hallucinogens for themselves. “I had ac- addictive drugs. “I love drugs but I would tually seen on Twitter the week before that only do magic mushrooms, LSD, peyote, this kid had been on [acid] and he was post- and weed. Cocaine and pills are a terrible ing these crazy things, and it seemed really idea and no one should ever do them. The awesome,” says Eva about her decision to benefit is outweighed by the physical harm. start using acid. “It was mostly appealing It’s irreversible,” he says.

Brandon, a senior, has fewer limits on the because you see things and hear things but types of drugs he would use. “I’ll likely try there’s that fear people put in your head about flashbacks and I thought, you know, almost anything,” he says. “I draw my limits at PCP and crack.” Already, Brandon has exscrew it.”

It is different from putting one’s hand over an open flame. One does not necessarily get burned. This does not mean that use of these drugs is safe.

perimented with an arsenal of drugs including marijuana, meth, opium, acid, cough syrup, magic mushrooms and various types of pills. Although many of these drugs have the potential for addiction, Brandon isn’t concerned. “I don’t have an addictive personality,” he says.

According to MTF, the perception of the dangers of drugs has fluctuated over the last several decades. While overall the public has come to see drugs as increasingly dangerous, among high school students the amount of perceived danger is steadily decreasing.

While Eva agrees with Ryan that “LSD does not have tangible effects on the brain,” Sussman believes that for some, this attitude creates a false sense of security. “There are people who have tried a ‘hard’ drug and have not suffered an obvious negative consequence, at least initially. It is different from putting one’s hand over an open flame. One does not necessarily get burned. This does no mean that use of these drugs is safe,” says Sussman.

lives to art, a goal she says they have begun to followed through with.

Ever since the 1960s, when acid and mescaline arguably led to the genesis of psychedelic rock and famous literature, some have viewed hallucinogens as a facilitator of unconventionality and creativity.

This perception, however, does not take into account the physiological risks of drug use. “We do know each of these drugs are dangerous, and particularly dangerous to the developing teenage brain,” says Dr. Kerry Green, a professor of Behavior and Community at the University of Maryland.

“It is thought that hard drugs produce lasting changes to the structure and function of the brain.”

Despite the known risks, at the end of eighth grade, Thomas and his friends rolled a joint and smoked weed for the first time.

Once in high school, Thomas, now a freshman, began looking for other ways of getting high. Bored with alcohol, he turned to shrooms. “Alcohol just makes you drunk, which is fun but you can learn something from a high, you can’t learn something from a drunk.”

For Ryan, drugs allow access to new planes of consciousness, and a new view on life. “It’s not about specific epiphanies,” Ryan explains. “It’s the added perspective of everything I do and see from a dramatically different perspective.”

The StigmA

Realizations Early one morning, Eva and her friends got on the Metro and went down to the National Zoo to drop acid. As the psychedelic drug seemed to distort the world, as they saw it, DC’s lions and sightseers began to take on new meanings. “The animals looked so trapped and not free. We kept thinking about how [messed] up society was and we didn’t want to be a part of it,” says Eva. The tourists were warped until they seemed incredibly fat and “looked like money.” Despite her disgust at these people, Eva and her friends made a discovery. “We came up with this realization that we don’t hate anybody. We just have to love everybody but we hate their money,” she says.

While these acid induced ruminations seem reminiscent of the far-flung musings of the 60’s dazed out stoners, Eva’s epiphanies have had far reaching effects on her daily life. “On drugs, everyone has these crazy thoughts but you can retain them when you’re not on drugs and it changes the way you think,” she says. After a night of using acid and walking through, what Eva and her friends perceived as DC’s suddenly beautiful alleyways, they decided to devote their

While the hippie, free-love-freedrugs days of the Sixties and today’s rising use of marijuana amongst teens may imply an common and enduring drug culture, some Blair users believe there is still much social resistance against drug usage. “If it was up to me everyone would do LSD because it promotes this sense of community” says Eva. “But I would never say ‘You know what?

You should do LSD.’ because it’s so socially unacceptable.”

The social disapproval of LSD and other hard drugs amongst teens and the general American population has always been high.

In 1975, according to MTF, 82.8 percent of twelfth graders disapproved of occasional LSD usage and today, this number has grown to 86.3 percent.

Sussman says that it is likely that the high public disapproval of these drugs is what inspires their use among some teenagers. “Relatively extreme drug types - that are more socially frowned upon - may be used to show identification with social rebellion.”

Ryan’s decision to trip was influenced by his desire to oppose the mainstream. “To do drugs is rejecting what society tells you,” says Ryan. Sussman says that these teenage drug interests do not usually develop into lifelong addictions, often ending in one’s mid-20s.

The characters present in “Mean Girls” and shows like “Freaks and Geeks” often refer to drug users as “burnouts” and “deadheads” who are only interested in “turning on, tuning in and dropping out,” as Tim Leary would say. For some drug users at Blair, the age-old social stigma around drugs blazes on. “I feel like people think I’m high more than I am,” says Brandon. “People are quick to judge because it’s high school.”

RUTH AITKEN

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CENTERSPREAD June 1, 2012

City Farmer

by Emma Bergman

Every S a t u rd a y morning, it’s the same routine. The streets of Downtown Silver Spring are overrun with tents, each one with a clearly printed sign, a table covered in fruit and vegetables and a team of people manning the booths. At the end of the row, there is a less glamorous display: no tent, no elaborate sign and only a single man running the operation. But somehow, the simple Koiner Farm table is busier than all the rest.

The mystery farmer behind the table is Charles Koiner. Koiner, now 91-years-old, is a legend at the county fair and is hailed at the Silver Spring farmer’s market for his famous gooseberries. He runs the only farm in District 20, a district in Montgomery County that includes Silver Spring and Takoma Park. Each Saturday at market, Koiner sells farm fresh food. He is the only farmer there who can honestly say his crops are not just local, but two-blocks local.

In the past several years, urban farms and gardens have sprung up in U.S. cities. Still, very few cities contain enough farms to be considered anywhere near selfsustainable. Koiner has been running his farm for nearly 30 years. As one of the only urban famers approaching his work from the traditional, not-so-trendy stance, he is a modern anomaly. Today, only about one percent of people in the United States are farmers. Charles Koiner is among that one percent.

“A magical place” Tu r n i n g away from the traffic intersections and hotels rising in the distance, visitors can see that Koiner ’s acre of farmland is a

goldmine of classic countryside images. Tomato plants and bushels of lettuce are interspersed across three vegetable patches. A giant kiwi bush takes center stage. The exterior of the farm is framed by rows of Sweet William flowers. Blackberries, strawberries, and Koiner’s legendary gooseberries line the back fence.

It is this country charm that attracted District 20 Senator Jamie Raskin. Whereas most district senators must balance the needs of various agricultural constituents, Raskin’s farm constituency is made up of only Koiner and his vegetable patches. Raskin loves Koiner Farm, and began visiting when he was campaigning in 2006.

“It’s a magical place. You’re in the middle of Downtown Silver Spring and then all of a sudden you feel like you’re out in the countryside,” he says.

Raskin says that as young people become increasingly interested in urban agriculture, farms like Koiner’s will sprout up more and more. This growing interest in agriculture is in part due to the increased movement to eat locally. “That farm is a symbol of everybody’s commitment to nutritious, local food being an important part of everybody’s diet,” he says.

More than that, Raskin hopes that people in the community will help urban agriculture grow just as Koiner has nursed along many a kiwi bush. “I hope that this farm is not viewed just as a beautiful and quaint reminder of Silver Spring’s agrarian roots, it can also become a symbol of an urban and suburban agriculture future,” he says.

The good old days

a wagon filled with berries. The Koiners, a county fair staple, swept the fair, winning 96 ribbons and 7 championships. Today, Koiner’s customers are a diverse group, some living within walking distance and others traveling from the farther corners of Maryland.

Gemma Ramaya has been buying from Koiner since 1989. Like the majority of Koiner’s customers, she has been coming to the farm since the kiwi bush was just a sprout and the berries were not yet ripe. “I would sit there and talk to [Koiner’s wife] for hours on end. Buying from him and chit chatting with her, I got to know the family,” she says.

Ramaya says that she has continued to buy Koiner’s food for so many years because it is fresher than store-bought food. “It’s local, it’s right there, and I can see how he grows his produce,” she says. “It tastes much better than buying from the grocery store.”

1

Changing times

Farm in Silver Spring

Number of dollars to buy a chicken

Since his days growing up in the Silver Spring area, construction projects have cemented over the once green fields and the changing economy has fostered increased prices. Koiner will eventually pass on the farm to his daughter, who has helped with its upkeep for several years. For now, he plans to continue producing all the crops his acre can hold because despite the ever-changing times, people still appreciate the irreplaceable taste of fresh farm produce.

Koiner continues to keep his prices low despite the rising rates around him.

“At the market Saturday some of them were getting eight dollars a quart, and some others getting 7.50 a quart for strawberries. I mean, that’s one heck of a price, but they’d sell them, people would buy them,” he says. Koiner sells his strawberries, like all of his produce, for much cheaper. “I try to sell tomatoes at two dollars a pound and I tell you no one sells them cheaper. I don’t want to make a fortune,” he says.

Koiner says that many of his customers marvel at his low prices. If not for the money, then what is he growing and selling food for? For Koiner, the farming experience is a good enough payoff. “If I didn’t have this property and just had this house, what could I do? I’d probably be dead by now sitting around like that,” he says. “If you retire, you’ve still got to keep doing something because as soon as you sit down and stop doing, you get to where you can’t do anything.”

Koiner has lived in the Silver Spring area for his entire life, and has been farming for almost as long. These days, Koiner is content finding his rolling hills amidst busy city life.

He grew up in the 1920s and 30s on a 19 acre farm on Rockville Pike. His father’s farm, which is now one of the city’s many shopping centers, taught Koiner the basics. What he remembers most fondly about his early years farming is an irrigation system he had in one of his first homes. “Man I had a set up there,” he says. “Back in the sixties when we had dry weather and everything was burned up, I had the prettiest garden you ever laid your eyes on.”

Koiner and his wife moved to a small house on Easley Street, where Koiner still lives today. As his neighbors passed away or left their homes, Koiner bought the lots surrounding his house. Soon enough, he had a full acre of land and his farming career could begin again. “It was the best investment I ever made because I am 91 years old and this gives me something to do,” he says. “I can get out here and do it and my daughter can live out here too.”

It wasn’t long after he started farming again that people began to notice his grassy nook nestled in Downtown Silver Spring and Koiner started to develop a wider customer base. Last summer in the far corner of the Montgomery County Fair, past the rides and the ice cream stands, amid giant pumpkins, the Koiners were stationed in the agriculture tent art by Julia Bates with their dozens of entries ranging from a photos by Leah Hammond flower entered in the and Clare Lefebure 60 and over category to

For most, fulfilling a craving for hard boiled eggs requires driving the long distance to the supermarket, picking out a carton of days old eggs and standing in a long, seemingly unending checkout line. But for some Blazers, a hankering for eggs or farm fresh foods can be satisfied simply by walking into their own backyards.

Since ninth grade, senior Derek Burtraw would unwind from a long day at school by collecting eggs from his family’s chickens. Burtraw does not live on expansive fields or in the traditional farm setting. His little chicken coop was nestled behind his suburban, Takoma Park home.

Although Burtraw’s poultry endeavor is hardly reminiscent of the classic American farm scene of huge silos and old red barns, urban farms like Burtraw’s are increasingly finding their place amongst America’s “amber waves of grain.” A recent study by the National Gardening Association found that in 2008, 31 percent of US households had their own food gardens and an estimated 51 percent were expected to grow their own food in 2009. Meanwhile, a rising numbers of Americans are raising their own chickens and bees. The rise in household farming reflects national concerns over the quality and safety of store bought produce and an overall interest in saving money on pricey vegetables and fruits says Roger Doiron, founder and director of an urban gardening website, Kitchen Gardeners International. While the Department of Agriculture reports that just one percent of Americans are currently farmers by occupation, America’s home growers are stepping up to plant the seeds for America’s future agricultural landscape.

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5

Farming Awards Koiner won in 2011

Home delivery

Sophomore Jenna Kanner’s flock of Takoma Park chickens began with the not so inconHANNAH WEINTRAUB spicuously named website, MyPetChicken.com. The site advertises a sale on the always delicious “Chunky Chicken Chickie-Puffs” chicken food next to a pull down window of day old baby chicks selling for only four dollars.

Kanner and her brother brought up the idea of raising chickens with their dad after seeing a friend’s thriving birds. After their dad endorsed their ideas, Kanner and her brother sent away for their eight baby chicks.

Websites like MyPetChicken.com, geared at providing resources and guidance to urban farmers, are sprouting up all over the internet. Four years ago, sophomore Chloe Garfinkle kick started her family’s bee colony with a queen bee she ordered online. “The queen bee just came in the mail,” Garfinkle explains. After receiving the royalty of the hive, Garfinkle and her step dad ordered a head-to-toe mesh and canvas bee suit, a smoker, a white bee boxes, some worker bees and of course, jars for honey.

For hopeful urban farmers, breaking ground and venturing into the wilds of agricultural is simple says Doiron.

“Growing a little bit of fresh produce to supplement fruits and vegetables purchased from the store doesn’t require much space, time or supplies.”

With chickens available for cheap and bees requiring minimal attention, even more complicated farming projects, like raising livestock or animals hardly requires someone to break the bank or break a sweat. “All you need to steward bees is the hive materials, protective equipment, bees, adequate forage and amenable neighbors.”

The not-so-giving tree

Backyard Barns

Like Jack and his enormous bean stalk, junior Remi Olateru had big dreams for the apple seeds he planted in his backyard. “I wanted to make an apple pie and grow apples so I could eat them,” he says, “I play sports so having an unlimited amount of apples would help out.”

Hoping to see his fantasy of never ending apples come to fruition, Olateru dutifully watered the seeds and made sure they had enough sunlight. He even sang his potential saplings a few lullabies to show some love. For all of Olateru’s work, the trees were a dissapointment.

Only three trees grew and, of those, only one tree grew taller than three feet. Olateru’s apples were just as lackluster. “I ate one. It wasn’t my best apple but it wasn’t my worst,” he says.

Olateru’s trees were no match for nature’s will. Just like farmers of yesteryear, even the most advanced gardeners have yet to tame the havoc that nature can unleash. For busy students, finding time to maintain their farming ventures can be just as difficult. Kanner’s chickens proved too hard to take care of and, a few weeks ago, she gave them away to a neighbor. After experiencing the challenges of farm work for themselves, these Blair “farmers” have a new appreciation for agriculture.

“When you see farmers, know their job isn’t easy,” says Olateru.

Burtraw’s battle with mother nature began with an adventurous raccoon. At the crack of dawn one morning, his parents heard loud squawking coming from the chicken coop. They ran out back and saw one of their chickens dangling from the mouth of a frisky raccoon.

The raccoon dropped the chicken like and ran away but Burtraw’s parents were forced to kill the fatally wounded bird. Stressed from the raccoon fiasco, Burtraw’s chickens stopped laying as many healthy eggs. “I told my dad raccoons would be able to get into the coop,” Burtraw says shaking his head.

Many of Blair’s urban homesteaders agree that the scenes of bandit raccoons and Johnny-appleseeds gone wrong seem to have more of a place in Little House on the Prairie than suburban living. But slowly and surely, these images of agricultural life are becoming a facet of 21st century living. The rise in urban farming can be felt in every corner of the internet with an Amazon search for books on urban farming bringing up over a thousand results. Says Doiron, over 24,000 people are members of his urban gardening information and support site, KGI. Even the White House has taken a cue from the rising trend in do-it-yourself agriculture, says Doiron, which has weaved urban homesteading into America’s modern history.

by Hannah Weintraub The bounty

After donning the space-suit-like bee gear and arming themselves with a bellowing bee smoker, Garfinkle and her step-dad venture outside, ready to harvest their bee’s honey. “We usually collect their honey once a year during the summer,” explains Garfinkle. After subduing the bees with puffs of smoke, the two beekeepers remove the gooey, honey-drenched combs from the hive. From there, the the pair cuts the honeycombs, shaves them and spins them until they release their golden, nectar. Last year the family hauled in 20 jars of honey.

Whether gathering eggs or collecting honey, being able to benefit from a farm animal is what makes the difficult experience of raising livestock so satisfying. “It’s different than having a dog or a cat because they provide food to you,” Burtraw attests. “It’s more rewarding in that way.”

Even Olateru’s botched attempts at growing his own apples payed off. “It’s a check on my bucket list,” he says. “YOLO!” In light of the growing industrialization of agriculture and increased food borne diseases epidemics, homefarming has been a way for these Blazers to reclaim their food and reconnect with the land. “If we’re going to reform the food system we have to get to the root of it and see how our food is made,” says Burtraw.

With urban farmers at the head of the farming revolution, America might not have to wait until the cows come home for changes in the American eating habits.

16ENTERTAINMENT

silverCHIPS

June 1, 2012

Entertainment

Summ er editio n!

Where to go on the metro

W

ith the threat of impending summer heat, it can be hard to get the motivation to go outside and enjoy those precious three months. This issue, we’ve devoted our Entertainment section to making sure that you have plenty of ways to spend you summer of 2012.

Inside Entertainment

RUTH AITKEN

Historical Walking Tour of Silver Spring Page 16 Best of Summer Page 18 Movie Preview: Blockbuster and AFI’s Silverdocs Page 20 Chips Clips Page 21

Living history through the silver city A walking tour through historic Silver Spring

By Peter McNally The vibrant stretch of Ellsworth Drive that holds the lucrative main downtown strip spills out on the other side into a constantly developing downtown. Tucked away amongst all this developmental commotion are jewels of Silver Spring’s humble beginnings. Although most of these historic sites have been camouflaged into the modern world that has grown up around them, a short walk down one corridor of the city reveals the golden past of the Silver City.

Hunkered down at the intersection of Sligo and Georgia avenues, a brightly lit row of new businesses extend towards the main downtown area. However, upon closer inspection, a small brick hut is visible just to the left of the current police and fire station. Although the small shack suggests little more than a poorly placed shed, the historic building marks the historic Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Silver Spring railroad train station. Built in 1878 the station put Silver Spring on the map for the first time, helping to familiarize the industrializing nation with the developing suburb. In 1997, long after the station stopped receiving the early Silver Springers, the station was destroyed beyond repair by an out of control automobile accident. However, the station’s day came when historically minded citizens rallied to rebuild it back just as it had existed for decades. It even operated again as a small train station from 2002 to 2003.

Today, it serves as a museum for the the B&O in Silver Spring.

Only a short walk down Georgia avenue lies another pillar of early Silver Spring. The

Silver Spring post office was established which the city takes its name. This spring, as history, the Canada Dry building serves as in 1899, when Gist Blair was appointed as legend has it, looked silver in the sunlight a reminder of Silver Spring’s second boom the Postmaster Of Silver Spring by Presi- when it was discovered by early residents. during the 1940s. The Canada Dry bottling dent William McKinley. Gist was the son of It is also where confederate troops watered plant was constructed in 1946, as the comMontgomery Blair, our school’s namesake their horse the day before they led their un- mercial district of Silver Spring began to rise. and Postmaster General of the United States successful assault on Washington. Today, the This was also the time during which the Silver Spring Shopping Center, under President Lincoln which today houses Paner during the Silver war. and Asian Bistro, and the He was also the grandSilver Theater, now owned son of Francis Preston by the AFI were created.

Blair, the founder of Like its contemporary deSilver Spring. Like the velopments, the Canada railway station, the post Dry building was built in office was a pivotal step the art deco style that has in the establishment come to characterize that of Silver Spring as a era of silver Spring. Today major suburban comthat bottling clanking and munity. For 33 cents, clattering bottling maresidents of blossoming chines have fallen silent, suburb could send letand have been replaced ters to people around with the high end Silverthe country. The cost ton condominiums. While of sending a postcard the interior has turned resito Silver Spring: two dential, the outside of the cents. building has kept it iconic Postmaster Gist’s factory facade, complete grandpa, Francis, had CLARE LEFEBURE with refurbished “Canada built a large summerDry” signs. house that took up acres The Silver Spring train station has been a landmark of the city since High rise buildings conof scenic rolling hills . it was built in 1878. Today, the station exists only as a museum. tinue to shoot up across the Today, all the remains of downtown Silver Spring grandpa Blair’s estate is a small verdant plot of land affectionately spring has dried up to a dusty creek bed, and area. Although they are not as large, some called the Acorn Park . The park’s name de- is marked only by an ornate cement archway of the city’s more notable historic sites mainrives from the large acorn-shaped pavilion, laid into the earthen crevasse from which the tain their historical magnitude. As the world around them progress, the historical site help built during the 1850’s. The acorn is not only Silver Spring used to flow.

Although many of the historic sites of to prevent the history of Silver Spring form the symbol of the park, but the symbol of Silver Spring. The park houses the spring after Silver Spring are monuments to very early tarnishing.

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June 1, 2012

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18

FEATURES

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June, 1 2012

F O T S BE R E M M U S Ly

l NA

C M R TE E en P h C I By XIX by t Ar

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he surge of joy felt once school lets out is sometimes followed by a wave of boredom as Blazers look for ways to spend their summer months of freedom. For many, the absence of something to do can lead to a self-imposed house arrest, in which the sunniest months of the year can pass by in a unremarkable malaise. However, this summertime sickness can be cured with a number of activities, all in metro-riding distance.

Self-served Sweetness As days grow longer and hotter, there are few things as satisfying as a trough of frozen dairy elixir. When it comes to Downtown Silver Spring, the long lines of Coldstone and the pricey Ben and Jerry’s pale in comparison to FroZenYo. Since the advent of the trendy treat, dozens of frozen yogurt bars have popped up around the D.C. metropolitan area, but time and time again, FroZenYo proves to be the top dog. The white walls of the local chain are bare but for the row of self serve machines, each doling out affordable cascades of cool, creamy, frozen delight. Flavors range from the traditional plain tart and mango to more inventive flavor like red velvet cake and strawberry lemonade.

Once your cup is brimming with your selected flavors, you can festoon your yogurt with any topping you choose. Other hot spots for this frozen treats include: Mr. Yogato in Dupont Circle, Yogi Beri in Cleveland Park and Tangy Sweet at Gallery Place.

Grand Slams International Incident From June 30 to July 4 and then from July 8 to 11, the Smithsonian Institution will hold its 45th annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall. The festival is a celebration of the music, crafts, art, food and dance from The United States and 80 other nations. Better yet, there is no admission fee. Each year the Smithsonian chooses three featured programs on which the entire festival is centered around. This year, the Smithsonian has selected Campus and Community, to commemorate the founding of the USDA and of agriculture in the U.S. Another program, Citified, offers a special exhibition of the cultural feature of Southeast D.C. Finally, Creativity and Crisis looks at how art and creativity are used in response to the AIDS epidemic. All three facets of the festival offer unique and exciting events. Especially interesting is the AIDS Quilt, the artifact that anchors the Creativity and Crisis program. The quilt is made up of 47,000 panels, each commemorating a person who suffered and died from AIDS.

This summer, although English classes will cease, the ink of the performers at Busboys and Poets will continue to flow. The combination cafe and performance venue will be hosting a number of slam poetry shows and open mic events at all of their locations in D.C. and Maryland. Open mics take place regularly at all locations and are open to performers of all ages, so if you have something you want to share, go for it. In addition to poets, the venues welcome singers, songwriters, actors and any other performers to come and share their craft. Besides the open mics, all venues also host a number of professional shows featuring poets from the area. Admission is only $5 and all the shows can be enjoyed alongside an assortment of delicious small plates from the café.

Rediscover the Monmuments

Power to The Pedal As fares rise and the stations flood with ambitious interns, the Metro can be a less appealing option for transportation. Luckily, the Capital Bikeshare offers an easy, affordable and entertaining way to get around the city. The bikeshare offers short or long term bike rentals for city transit. The bikes are seat-adjustable and easy to use for riders of all ages and skill levels. Customers rent a bike out at one of the 140 rental stations around the city and then deposit the bike at any other station when they are done. Memberships are sold in online for one day, three day, on month and one year. The first 30 minutes of every ride is free, with additional charges for additional half hours intervals. The bikes are great for seeing the city, allowing you to bike right up to all the monuments and notable buildings in the district. It is also a good way to get from point A to point B without long Metro waits.

For those native to the D.C. area, a trip to the monuments usually entails a sweltering hot death march down the mall with your family, choked by kicked up dust and the humid D.C. air. But don’t let the past get you down, there is a right way to see the city’s monuments. Nothing can put a damper on a day outand-about than D.C.’s sticky summer heat. If you visit in the evening, you’ll also circumvent the floods of tourists who flock to the nation’s capitol in the summer months. Although tourists are not completely unavoidable, they dip in number after dark. Another way to get around the “I love DC” shirt-sporting groups of rowdy middle school tour groups is to take in some of the less visited monuments. The Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial is especially nice, offering a uniquely lengthy walk through an arrangement of large waterfalls and various statues.

A good Nattitude The Washington Nationals are a team far different from the bungling ball club of years past. In a stadium worthy of champions, Nats fans grew accustomed to grueling losing streaks and embarrassing errors. Now, with the legendary Stephen Strasburg, the prodigal Bryce Harper and the impeccable Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals have finally formed a consistent, strong and cohesive team that is exciting to watch. The best part is, Nationals Park is located right in D.C. and is easily accessible by the Navy Yard metro station. Unlike most pricey sporting events, the Nationals tickets can be purchased for around $25.

The Nats also offer a number of deals, some of which can bring ticket prices down to as low as $15. Be sure to also look into going on certain fan appreciation days. On these days, the first 30,000 or so fans are given complimentary t-shirts, hats or bobble heads.

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June 1, 2012

Summer filM Preview

By Puck Bregstone, ART BY JULIA BATES

AFi Movies Silver Docs, the AFI’s annual film festival featuring some of the best documentaries from around the world, kicks off its seven days of film screenings on June 18.

Don’t Stop Believin’ Silver Docs film festival begins with Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, a documentary about the life-changing journey of Arnel Pineda, a homeless Filipino teenager who rose to become the new lead singer for the beloved rock band, Journey. Homeless by the time he was 14, Pineda made money to buy food by singing with some of his friends. He joined several bands playing classic rock covers, some of which were uploaded to Youtube. Neal Schon, the guitarist for Journey, found the videos when he was looking for someone to replace Steve Perry for Journey’s upcoming worldwide tour. The feel-good documentary showcases Pineda’s incredible journey from rags to riches and his challenges as a rock star. Pineda breathes life into the rock band and the documentary, which of course includes an abundance of Journey songs. The film was met with enthusiasm at the Tribeca Film Festival and is sure to win several large awards.

The Big Easy Express The Festival ends with a vintage, folksy documentary titled Big Easy Express. This film documents the exceptional musical journey of three bands Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show as they travel across the country by “vintage” train. In all of its mumblecore appeal and hipster aesthetic, this documentary promises to be full of jam sessions on the backdrop of beautiful rural America and artsy shots of the three bands bumming around on their vintage train. The film is sure to be filled with great music and prophetic statements, including, “this is a tour of dreams,” and, “this train is bound for glory.

A festival of promise The full lineup for the Silver Docs festival can be found on the Festival’s website along with ticket sales.

Press Coordinator

Lauren Grimes is particularly excited for this year’s festival and thinks that many of the films can appeal to all audiences. “Every year there are a lot of films that anybody can relate to” she says.

This year’s festival line-up promises to be filled with a spread of inspiring, charming, and beautiful films.

BLOCK BUSTERS For the last couple of years, we have been witnesses to a Golden Age in superhero movies, a pax comicana, if you will. Back in the day, superhero movies were passed over by big studios for being too trivial and childlike— the original Superman had to be privately funded outside of Hollywood. But things have changed. Movies like Spider Man 2, Iron Man and The Dark Knight have completely changed the way Hollywood looks at the genre. With groundbreaking performances from some of the best actors in Hollywood, these movies are no longer child’s play. I’m thinking of Heath Ledger, Robert Downey Jr., Christian Bale, Jeff Bridges, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Michael Fassbender, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and the list goes on and on. With that in mind, this summer’s blockbusters are going to be very superhero focused. If they disappoint this could mean that the pax romana of superhero movies will come to an end. Hopefully, though, this summer’s movies will deliver the perfect punch to keep the streak up.

Amazing Spider-Man As a reboot of the 2002 series, this summer’s The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) promises to deliver a darker punk-rock adaptation of Spider-Man with no scenes that even resemble the absurd jazz club dancing scene from Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man is Marvel’s most popular superhero by far, so this movie represents a considerable investment

by Marvel and Sony. Peter Parker is played by the intelligent Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, The Imaginaruim of Doctor Parnassus). Gwen Stacy, Parker’s love interest, is played by the increasingly versatile and witty Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland, Crazy Stupid Love).

Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter and The

Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Anonymous) plays the villain, The Lizard, who until now has only dwelled in the comic books and will make his first debut on the big screen. This movie has the potential to be both marvelous

and a waste of time. While the cast is sure to deliver, Spider-Man is supposed to be fun and trailers have so far shown a darker, more serious side, maybe borrowing a little too much from the most recent Batman films.

The Dark Knight Rises

Speaking of which, the epic conclusion to the Dark Knight Trilogy and by far the m o s t anticipated movie of the summer, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises will be released to craving audiences on July 20. With Nolan at the reins and quite possibly the most talented acting roster ever to be to be united under one superhero movie-sized roof, this one will be hard to mess up. The movie takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, and Gotham has only become darker and gloomier.

Batman is on the run after taking the fall for Two-

Face’s crimes and a terrorist leader by the name of Bane is terrorizing Gotham. Bane is the super-villain who defeats Batman in the comics by breaking his back. The very same might happen in the movie as the tagline, “The Legend Ends,” suggests. As a director, Nolan is at the top of his game. After a shaky start with Batman Begins, which contained too much cluttered action, things really started to look up in the chartbusting sequel The Dark Knight, which was darker and more action packed. Nolan went on to direct the action-packed Inception, a fun and fast paced movie involving snowmobiles, revolving hotels, and plenty of guns. Inception contained Nolan’s best action scenes to date. It will be exciting to see this action experience pay off in The Dark Knight Rises.

Prometheus

On June 1 the prolific director Ridley Scott returns to his most beloved genre, science fiction, in Prometheus, which is shaping up to be one of the better sci-fi horror films of the decade. Taking place in the same universe as Ridley Scott’s Alien, this prequel (maybe…nobody is certain) involves a group of explorers following clues to the dark corners of the universe to discover the origins of mankind. Noomi Rapace, the star of the Swedish film adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, channels her best Sigourney Weaver. Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class, Shame) plays an ethically troubled robot, David. The suave Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker and The Kings Speech) plays Peter Weyland, a corporate mogul, owner of Weyland Industries. This is sure to be a triumphant return for the prodigal son of science fiction directing, and even if it isn’t, it will still be terrifying.

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CHIPS CLIPS 21

June 1, 2012

THE CROSSWORD

by Devin Rutan

Senioritis

Across 1. Beach Attraction, pt. 1 (See 65-ACROSS) 6. ____ and secure 10. 50% 14. First step in taking your shoes off 15. Once _____ a time 16. Óxido de dihidrógeno 17. Appears 18. Encounter someone new 19. To sell from a machine 20. Plant necks 22. 52 per year 23. Morning perspiration 26. Elemental suffix 27. Comparison term 29. Mesozoic, for example 30. Negative conjunction 31. Plague host 32. Dancing line 33. Church center 34. Chop with an axe 37. Hymn poem 38. State cop 41. Pirate growl 42. “Roger that” 43. Electric particles 44. Police ID 45. 3 strikes

46. Arizona beverage 48. “Record” on a camera 49. To pass on 50. Relatives abbr.

51. Noah’s zoo 52. Shoes, pt. 2 (see 52-DOWN) 55. Murders 57. To give temporarily 58. Gilgamesh’s greatest work 60. Oil tanker 64. Turn _____ 65. Beach Attraction, pt. 2 (see 1-ACROSS) 66. on pace with Tiger Woods 67. Excrement in Britain 68. Greek god of love 69. Bird homes

Down 1. Public transportation 2. The loneliest number 3. Consumed 4. Flashy tire parts 5. Intended locations 6. 500 day season 7. Franco’s friends 8. Enemy 9. Tolkien Tree 10. Safe place 11. Author, A Death In the Family

12. A dunce 13. Trends 21. Old Tokyo 22. Aquatic Grenade 23. Object meant to deceive 24. Verb: Beach decay 25. Shrinking Moon 27. Hunter’s tool 28. To possess 33. Rejections 34. Captain America’s (#8-DOWN) 35. Anxious to start 36. Crash 39. beat decisively 40. Opposite of get off of 46. Anansi’s hobbies 47. Seafaring Serpent 49. tall haircuts 52. Shoes pt. 1 (See 52-ACROSS) 53. Tonight’s Host 54. Preposition: set 55. 1000 in Europe 56. Trigonometric Reminder 58. Mama Sheep 59. Golf Target 61. DJ CDs 62. Devour 63. Train Tracks abbr.

April Solutions

S U D O K U courtesy of www.websudoku.com Tatiana Gubin

Fantasy vs. Reality

One Direction Infection

by Julia Bates

by Xixi Chen

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1 de junio del 2012

LA ESQUINA LATINA

23

Los soñadores de Maryland enfrentan la realidad Por Claudia Quiñonez

En el año 2011 el Acta de Ensueño fue aprobada para el estado de Maryland.

La ley está destinada principalmente a ayudar a los niños de los inmigrantes que fueron traídos a los EE.UU. por sus padres cuando eran niños y han podido sobresalir teniendo la esperanza de ir a la universidad.

La Corte Suprema dictaminó que los residentes de los Estados Unidos deben tener acceso a la educación hasta concluir la secundaria, i n d e p e n dientemente de su estatus migratorio.

Pero cuando llega el momento de asistir a la universidad, esta ley no es válida.

Si el Acta de Ensueño, es aprobada significa que todos los estudiantes indocumentados tendrían la oportunidad de asistir a la universidad por el precio que los residentes del estado pagan; siempre y cuando sus padres hayan pagado sus impuestos por tres años y el estudiante se haya graduado de una de las escuelas secundarias del estado, esto le permitiría al estudiante pagar la cuota mínima que cualquier otro residente del estado pagaría.

Desafortunadamente la oposición no se ha hecho esperar. Los grupos anti-inmigrantes pudieron conseguir la firmas requeridas para bloquear esta ley. La ley que daría la oportunidad a los “soñadores” hubiera estado vigente el día 12 de julio del 2012. Sin embargo, la oposición recolectó el doble de las firmas necesarias para que fuera bloqueada y fuera mandada a un referéndum.

Se necesitaba un total de 55,736 firmas, pero lograron obtener 132,071.

El 6 de noviembre del 2012, el mismo día de las elecciones presiden-

ciales, esta ley será llevada a un Referéndum Electoral. Esto significa que los votantes registrados del estado de Maryland irán a las urnas y votarán en pro o en contra de esta ley. Para que una de las dos partes gane, se necesita obtener el monto de 1.6 millones de votos.

C a s a de Maryland, una de las organizaciones más grandes sin fines de lucro pro inmigrantes, está haciendo todo lo posible para promover el conocimiento de lo que está sucediendo con esta ley, la cual está en proceso de ser aprobada o negada.

Rommel Sandino , ex alumno de Blair, es uno de las activistas que está Rommel Sandino en trabajando con los jóvenes, que son indocumentados y que aliados a esta institución apoyan el

las consecuencias de ser indocumentado. Estuve encarcelado por siete días y mi familia y yo sufrimos mucho”. Actualmente él es uno de los promovedores más grandes de esta ley y trabaja con las distintas escuelas de Maryland.

Le preguntamos que iba hacer en nuestra escuela para promover la ley y respondió “Iremos a la escuelas a hablar con los seniors y trataremos de concientizarlos para que voten a favor de esta ley que ayudaría a muchos de sus actuales compañeros y amigos. Los seniors son una de las fuerzas que al cumplir la mayoría de edad, pueden ejercer el derecho al voto” El 6 de noviembre es una fecha de mucha importancia en los Estados Unidos, ya que los ciudadanos deciden el rumbo que tomará el país. Si uno vota SÍ en las urnas apoyando el Acta de Ensueño, será la oportunidad de muchos estudiantes indocumentados de cumplir con sus metas y llegar a ser exitosos y engrandecer este país. Este día es uno de los más imporuna de las juntas para la Acta de Ensueño. tantes que existen. Tomar la decisión correcta es una Acta de Ensueño, nos comentó: “Empeen la que muchos dependen así como con cé a ayudar a la comunidad como voluntario en la Casa de Maryland porque sufrí sus votos.

Un felíz día de las madres Por Janett Encinas y Aniulu Martinez

¡Feliz Día de las Madres...!. El Día de las Madres es una fecha muy especial dedicada a todas las madres luchadoras, valientes, protectoras, cariñosas que nos brindan su amor sin condición y sobre todo a todas aquellas que nos han dado la vida o que nos han criado como sus propios hijos.

Abuelas, tías, maestras, amigas y hermanas.

Porque una madre no es solo aquella que nos da la vida, si no aquella con la que uno puede contar en todo momento.

El mes de mayo no es un mes como cualquier otro ya que se celebra el Día de las Madres en la mayoría de los países Latinoamericanos y en los Estados Unidos.

Este es un país anglosajón donde se puede apreciar la diversidad de todos los países del mundo y sus culturas, pero en especial las tradiciones hispanas. Muchos países hispanos celebran el día de las madres de acuerdo a las fechas de sus países, pero otras prefieren celebrarlo en la fecha de este país, cada segundo domingo de mayo. Pero para otras personas esto es algo normal como nos comenta una estudiante de décimo grado Mónica Ortiz “En Colombia el día de la madre se celebra cada segundo domingo del mes de mayo, de igual ma-nera que aquí.

Pero en lo que se diferencia la celebración del día de las madres de aquí y Colombia,” añadió Ortiz, “es que allá el día de las madres se basa más en pasar ese día especial con la mamá y la familia, a diferencia de aquí donde todo es basado en los regalos y

cosas materiales. Para ser mas específica, el Al igual que Ortiz hay muchos mas día de las madres es más bien visto como estudiantes en Blair que celebran el día de una propaganda”. Y cuando le pregunlas madres cada segundo de mayo. Una de tamos que si ella consideraba a su madre esas razones es que coincide con la fecha en un modelo ejemplar, Ortiz nos respondió la que se celebra el día de las madres en su con una sonrisa “Por supuesto, aunque en un principio yo la consideraba muy estricta, al pasar de los años me he dado cuenta que lo que fue creciendo dentro de mi fue respeto y amor hacia ella. En estos momentos la considero mi mejor amiga. Puedo platicar con ella de todos mis problemas y hacer preguntas sin que ella se moleste. Esto la hace diferente a las otras madres de mis amigas” expresó Ortiz. También nos comentó que le está muy agradecida por todas las cosas que le ha enseñado ya que debido a cada consejo que ella le dio es la adolescente que es hoy en día. Pero tampoco quería Monica Ortiz (izquierda) con su madre y su expresar y agradecerle el haberle hermana, Laura Ortiz (derecha) dado dos hermanos con los que ella siempre puede contar y a su hermana gemela Laura Ortiz que más que país de origen: En Chile, Colombia, Brasil, ser su hermana es su mejor amiga. Aunque Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Perú, Uruguay, su madre Libia Ortiz, las crío como una Puerto Rico y Venezuela celebran el día de madre soltera, para Ortiz esto le llena de las madres el segundo domingo de mayo. alegría porque ella nos describe a su madre Pero también hay otros países latinoamericomo una mamá cariñosa, alegre, amigable, canos como El Salvador, Guatemala y Méxmuy educada y que siempre está dispuesta ico que celebran el día de las madres en el a ayudar a los demás. mes de mayo, solo que este siempre cae en

un día diferente, ellos lo celebran cada 10 de mayo. Siguiéndole Paraguay el cual la celebra cada 15 de mayo, mientras que el 27 del mismo mes se celebra en Bolivia, también el 30 del mismo mes en Nicaragua y por último la República Dominicana que lo celebra el último domingo de mayo.

Pero no todos los países latinoamericanos lo celebran en el mes de mayo. Hay países como Costa Rica que lo celebra el 15 de agosto, en Argentina el tercer domingo de octubre y en Panamá el 8 de diciembre. Como se puede ver cada país tiene una fecha distinta para agasajar a su madre. Pero lo más importante es que nuestras madres sí tienen su día especial.

Pero esta no es solo una fecha para las madres ya que hay padres que tienen dos roles en su vida, el de ser padre y madre al mismo tiempo.

Al igual que cada país tiene su propia fecha ellos también tienen su forma única cuando se refieren a su madre: mami, ma’, mamitay, vieja, y la manera anglosajona en la cual muchos adolecentes se refieren a su madre “mom” o “mother”.

En nombre de todos los miembros de la página de español le queríamos desear un feliz día de las madres. Esperamos que la hayan pasado muy bien junto a su madre, tía, abuela o cerca de aquella persona que para usted es su figura materna. Y para aquellos que todavía esperan la llegada del día de las madres le deseamos lo mismo de todo corazón.

Nota informativa:

Nota informativa:

El programa “InDesign” utilizado para realizar el periódico

El programa “InDesign” utilizado para realizar el periódico

de la escuela, está diseñado para la lengua inglesa. Con tal

de la escuela, está diseñado para la lengua inglesa. Con tal

propósito, Silver Chips ofrece disculpas por cualquier error

propósito, Silver Chips ofrece disculpas por cualquier error

gramatical que tengan las páginas de La Esquina Latina

gramatical que tengan las páginas de La Esquina Latina

después de haber sido intensamente editadas.

Gracias.

Escritores de la página de español: (Arriba, izquierda a derecha) Anilu Martinez, Janett Encinas, Heydi Mora, (Abajo, izquierda a derecha)

después de haber sido intensamente editadas.

Gracias.

24

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SPORTS 25

June 1, 2012

DC Sports Comeback

By Josh Schmidt D.C. fans: rejoice. After years of watching fans in major cities such as Boston and Los Angeles, and even fans in such places as Indianapolis celebrate the championships brought home, it may be our time to shine. In recent years, our teams haven’t even come close to any form of success, but 2012 may be the dawn of a new era.

Quick recap: we haven’t won in quite some time. The last time the Redskins won the Super Bowl was 1991.

The last time the Wizards won the NBA championship was 1978. The last time the Capitals or Nationals won was, well, never. It has truly been a rough 21 year stretch since a Washington sports team last won a championship.

But maybe, just maybe, there is hope for those in the nation’s capital who have long suffered.

D o w n at Nationals Park our very own baseball team has been lights out so far this season. The team’s earned run average so far this season is 2.98. This is the best average in the majors and Washington has achieved this with a very young pitching core. The team’s rotation includes no player older than 28-year-old Edwin Jackson.

The team’s youth gives Nats fans hope that the players will only get better. Nationals fans also have been provided with the much hyped prospect 19-year-old Bryce

Harper. Harper, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 16, has burst onto this season with no problem adjusting to the Harper’s first pro game.

game included a double as his first career hit and a bullet from the outfield to throw out a runner. The prestige surrounding Harper grew even larger when he stole home against the hated Philadelphia Phillies on May 6.

Harper and pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg offer a promising future for the Nationals. The Nationals are off to one of their best starts in franchise history dating back the

TATANYA GUBIN

team’s beginnings in 1969 when they were still the Montreal Expos.

Even Washington Post sports

reporter Dan Steinberg is ready to buy into the Nationals bright future. “That Nationals are a comforting team. They’re set up to win for the future. This is a team you can be excited about for the future,” Steinberg said.

N o t only are the Nationals raising up the hopes of fans, but the Wa s h ington Wizards and the Redskins have ignited fans’ dreams for winning seasons.

The Wizards not only avoided having the worst season in franchise history (thank goodness), but they finished the season on a six game winning streak. Suddenly John Wall resembled a legitimate star, while recent addition Nene (yeah, he’s that great that he only goes by his first name) is giving the Wiz some much needed maturity and leadership.

But the best news the fans could have gotten is that knuckleheads Nick Young, Javale McGee and Andray Blatch are no longer with the team. For those of you unaware, one example of McGee’s many an-

tics included running back to the defensive end while the team was still on offense. Young and McGee were both traded away, and Blatch was deactivated for the remainder of the season. This terrible trio was the central reason that the Wizards emerged season after season as a mockery of professional basketball.

Even the Redskins have made a change. The ‘Skins finally have a franchise quarterback. After years of wasting energy rooting for scrubs like Rex Grossman, Patrick Ramsey and Gus Frerotte the team drafted Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in the 2012 draft.

RG3, as they call him, will hopefully bring stability to the Redskins and bring a new dynamic to the offense with his sprinter-esque speed. RG3 has already built up a cult like following before even strapping on his pads.

All one must do for confirmation of these changes is look up I-95 at our neighbors in Baltimore and see that the Orioles have caught some of D.C.’s magic as well. The Orioles are the second best team in the American League and finally show real promise while their own prospects such as Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy are showing off in the minor leagues.

DC sports may be back to the quality of play that used to define our region. The Wizards are on the up swing while the Nationals have young talent that gives fans endless hope. Redskins fans may no longer have to dream of the longpast Joe Gibbs era. This is the RG3 era.

Athlete of the Month: Neil Gahart, Baseball Gahart leads on the field with stellar play and positive outlook

By Josh Schmidt As one of the team’s best pitchers, hitters and leaders, sophomore co-captain Neil Gahart is a key player on the Blair varsity baseball team. Gahart had a great year and was able to contribute regularly despite the teams’ struggles as a whole throughout the season.

Gahart and hard throwing senior cocaptain Richard Griner made for a dynamic pitching duo. The two pitched the majority of the teams’ games but were struck with bad luck as the offense struggled and provided little Boys Baseball run support.

Not only did Season Record Gahart maintain Wins: Six a strong front against the offense Losses: Eleven of opposing teams, he also inspired his own team while at bat. Gahart was able to JULIA BATES live up to the high expectations that come with being the cleanup hitter. He drove in runners on base while also consistently putting himself in scoring position for teammates batting behind him.

Leading the team, Gahart batted .478 this season. He was also second on the team in hits (22), triples (1), runs batted in (13) and slugging percentage (.565).

Gahart’s baseball ability is matched by his knowledge of the game. Playing and watching baseball since he was a child, he has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge on the game. “I think I’m smart with the game and can understand what’s going on,” Gahart said.

With this knowledge, Gahart can help his

teammates continually improve their game.

“If someone makes a mistake I tell them how to get better-how to be in a better position,” Gahart said.

Again, Gahart’s skill doesn’t end there.

As only a sophomore, Gahart was put in a tough position but once again he excelled.

Junior outfielder Adam Lott thinks that Gahart has been a fantastic leader for the team.

“Hes definitely a good captain. He’s not very vocal, but he’s able to lead by example.” Lott said.

Gahart tries to pass on his baseball knowledge to the other players. “I have a lot to offer on how to play the game,” Gahart said. Gahart has been able to help his less experienced teammates put themselves in a position to make major plays.

During such a downtrodden season in which the team finished 7-12 and consistently strugged, it’s important for the captains to keep the team motivated.

While only a sophomore, Gahart was able to keep spirits high.

As a captain, Gahart attempts to stay positive and keep the team upbeat. “I think I bring a good outlook and focus,” Gahart said. Lott agrees that Gahart is a great help for the emotions of the team. “He’s always trying to stay positive,” Lott said.

Gahart is also responsible for leading the team in the offseason. “We’re gonna work hard in the fall and winter with a greater presence by Coach Zolkiewicz,” Gahart said.

Gahart is a valuable asset for the Blazers and as he is only a sophomore he still has two years to improve. As one of the best baseball players to go through Blair in recent history, Gahart has made a significant impact on his teammates and school. “He’s a great clubhouse presence,” Lott said.

ELLIE MUSGRAVE

As an underclassman, sophomore Neil Gahart showed the new coach his skill and knowledge of the game and was named a varsity captain along with two seniors.

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SPORTS 27

June 1, 2012

BEST OF :

SPORTS

BEST MALE ATHLETE

As a two year captain for boys’ varsity soccer, senior Kevin Fallet has been through a lot with the team. As a senior he led the Blazers to the regional semi-finals before losing to Walter Johnson.

Fallet is a great athlete not only because of his play, but because of his leadership, says soccer coach John Haigh.

“Kevin does exactly what you would want from your best player. He’s our emotional leader and best player,” Haigh said.

As a versatile player Fallet has also been able to adjust his play according to what the team needs. In his junior year he played center back on defense when a teammate was injured before he moved to his natural position of striker as a senior. This season Kevin led the Blazers with eleven goals and four assists. The team also won the division for the first time in over ten years under his leadership.

But to ignore Kevin’s contributions off the field would be an insult to his character. Haigh said that Kevin has been a leader since the summer for this team. “He was the one who was calling other people and getting them to summer workouts. He enabled everybody to get on the same page,” Haigh said.

Kevin’s talents will be taken to High Point University on a full scholarship. But his soccer career may not end there.

“I’ve coached thirteen years and he’s the best pro prospect I’ve ever coached. I’m not saying he’ll go pro, but he’s so physically gifted,” Haigh said.

EMMA HOWELLS

BEST TEAM

BEST MOMENT

After coming back from a season in which they won the County championship, the boys’ varsity volleyball team had large expectations to live up to.

The team rebounded from last season and may just be better than they were last ENOCH HSIAO year. This year the team upheld a record of 10-1 in the regular season, winning 10 straight matches after losing their first game narrowly to Wootton. The team then went on to win their second of back-to-back county championships avenging their season opening loss to Wootton.

During that 10 game winning streak the team only lost one set as they crushed their opponents swiftly and easily. The team’s strength was based mainly in their fundamentals of the game, according to senior co-captain Andy Zhang. “We focus on the technical things,” Zhang said.

The team is skilled both physically and mentally as they don’t let other good teams in the county intimidate them. “As a team we are really confident.

We have a winning attitude which helps us against better teams,” Zhang said.

Zhang, along with his junior co-captains Ricci Huang and William Cai have helped the team repeat as county champions against Wootton on May 10.

The captains helped the team stay focused coming into the season. They realized that they must start all over again this past season. “Each season is fresh.

We don’t think about it,” said Zhang. “Each game is a new experience.”

The intensity of a seemingly trivial game suddenly rose. The whole team rallied together. On May 3rd, Samantha Schweickhardt threw a perfect game and hit an over the fence home run.

The game was exhilarating for all parties involved.

Coach Louis Hoelman believes it was an all time great in his book. “It was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever coached,” Hoelman said.

Her teammates cheered her on during the game but, Schweickhardt had already been thinking about it beforehand.

“I knew [Wootton] was a good team and that the previous year I was one batter away,” Schweickhardt said.

Schweickhardt then made sure to follow normal superstition protocol and push all ideas of a perfect game from her mind.

Schweickhardt pitched methodically and didn’t worry about the perfect game. “I had to take it one batter at a time,” Schweickhardt said.

The teammates knew what was happening throughout the game and couldn’t help but feel exhilaration. “We felt Sam deserved a perfect game. We all wanted her to get it so badly,” Hoelman said.

Schweickhardt continued to mow down the Wootton batters throughuot the game. Schweickhardt even helped her own cause in getting a win when she hit a drive over the fence for a home run.

When that last batter was retired Schweickhardt didn’t have the reaction that most would think. She was confused. “I had to make sure it actually was a perfect game. That would be really awkward if it wasn’t. But it was the best feeling ever,” Schweickhardt said.

The perfect game had an impact that lasted longer than the games seven innings. Schweickhardt’s perfect game didn’t go unnoticed by her teammates, according to Schweickhardt. “It reaffirmed that we are as good as we could be,” Schweickhardt said.

Hoelman believes that the game did just as much for Schweickhardt than it did for the team.

“It helped her find her groove on the mound and get confidence.” he said.

A perfect game, one of the rarest of feats TOLU OMOKEHINDE in softball and baseball, was one of the many highlights of the softball team and a memory that will last Schweickhardt her whole life.

BY JOSH SCHMIDT

BEST TEAM Losing six seniors, including four starters, in addition to coming off of the best finish in the history of the program wasn’t enough to stop the girls’ varsity softball team coming into this season. Coach Louis Hoelman had to find some new stars to step up and make sure his players didn’t become complacent after reaching the state semifinals in 2011.

Luckily he hit the jackpot. The team has answered any doubts throughout this season by winning 15 games and losing only two. There are five freshman on the team and now three or four of which contribute on a regular basis to the team, said Hoelman. “We were able to replace those seniors with younger players that have stepped up and played well,” he said.

Senior captains Becca Arbacher, Molly Nicholson, and Samantha Schweickhardt embraced the challenge, backed by many other returning players who have played key roles. These key captains led the team to a first round bye in the playoffs before the lost to Northwest High School.

According to Hoelman the captains weren’t fazed by the pressure of living up to last year and were in fact motivated by it throughout the season. “I think it was a positive pressure. All the people that were returning were motivated to go back,” said Hoelman.

Hoelman added that the younger players caught on to this intensity and became just as much a part of it as the seniors had been.

While the team can rely on the stellar pitching of Schweickhardt, it’s offense is also regularly on show. The offense has scored over ten runs nine times, and over 20 runs twice. The team’s hitting has never been an issue during this fantastic season. “We are, as a team, really hitting the ball well,” Hoelman said.

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE Senior Jamie Kator is one of the most prolific athletes in Blair history for any sport. She’s first in career assists for girls’ soccer at Blair while also holding third place for most goals. This season she scored 20 goals, setting a new Blair record. Kator has consistently set the pace for the team as she provides a model to look up to and emulate for the younger players on the team.

Throughout the Blair girls’ varsity soccer team’s season, Kator played a pivotal role in nearly every win. The team went 114-2 before finally bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to Quince Orchard, who they lost to in the regular season as well.

As a center midfielder Kator was a leader on the team with her play on the field. Kator’s abilities on the field amazed the audiences throughout the games and leave opponents wonderstruck. Throughout the course of the season Kator had four hat tricks including three straight games with a hat trick.

Kator believes that her strength lies in her ability to create plays for other people. “I think I bring an offensive presence and playmaking abilities to get things rolling towards the goal,” Kator said. As displayed by her high assist totals throughout her career, Kator is a great distributor who not only scores her own goals, but also helps others get in their work.

Kator’s abilities also regularly draw the attention of opposing defenses meaning that when she garners a double team there is always an open teammate to be found. Kator can slip the ball through the passing lanes to these open teammates in order to help the team all around.

Blair soccer will truly miss Kator next year when she goes to Vanderbilt University on a soccer scholarship.

TOLU OMOKEHINDE

sportsCHIPS

June 1, 2012 silverchips.mbhs.edu/section/sports.php

Blazers rally around spring sports teams

TOLU OMOKEHINDE

On May 21 at the Pep Rally organized by the SGA, Blair Blazer mascots led the crowd in cheers as spring sports teams paraded into the stadium, students participated in class competitions and trickers stunted at center field.

Novice Crew team races at Blair’s first national rowing competition Blazers finish 19th out of 24 while up against stiff competition

By Josh Schmidt

regional girls’ novice championship on must now reflect on the success of this year.

The Blair crew team’s girls’ novice eight Saturday May 12th but since there was no Coach Eva Sullivan believes that this season placed 19th in the junior division on Friday novice section at nationals, they rowed in was great for the team. “I think this success May 25 in Camden, NJ. The team consist- the junior division instead. As a result the is huge for Blair Crew! We have gotten better ed of juniors Alex Fitzpatrick and Keianna novice rowers were racing against serious and better every year,” Sullivan said.

Mejia agrees in that this team has come Simms (coxswain), sophomores Chloe An- competitors who had, in many cases, been a long way. “I’ve very proud. I feel accomdre, Jeanne Garner, Sadie Isakower and Cai- racing together for three years. lyn Keely, and freshmen Martha MorganThe race was hectic from the start as plished… For us to have a novice boat qualistein, Emily O’Brien and Maddie Palmieri. many of the more experienced and serious fying for Nationals is a big step for a club They finished with a time of 5 minutes 48 boats pulled ahead quickly. But the Blair sport,” Mejia said. The girls’ varsity boats seconds and were in 3rd place before being rowers hung tough throughout the heat as also had some wins earlier in the season, passed by two boats just 100 meters before they clung to the middle of the pack. As the with first place finishes at the Cindy Cole the finish line. race came to a close, the rowers faltered and Cup and the Baltimore Invitational RegatIn order to qualify for finals, the team wo more passed them to put them in 19th ta. In later regattas, they managed to keep competitive with two of the top teams in the would have had to place in the top three in place. their heat. They raced against entries from 16 As the season comes to a close the team area, Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Whitman, which will be the girls’ two main comstates and Canada and with their times petitors next year. finished 19th out of 24competitors.

With the end of the season, comes The entry of the novice team was new hopes for the next season. The the first appearance in Nationals for team plans on working hard this offthe Blair rowing team. Only created a season and coming together to do few years ago, the team has struggled more workouts, Mejia said. But Mejia in past years against their more estabbelieves the team will be at a disadlished competitors, but is on the upvantage, as Sullivan will be leaving at swing now. the end of the season. “If we can’t find Ellie Mejia, a junior and a team another coach who is willing to make captain, was impressed by the team’s such a big time commitment, the team efforts. “I’m thrilled, proud and very will really have to band together to excited about the girls’ performance succeed and improve,” she said. at Nationals,” Mejia said. As the rowThis season the varsity team came ers docked they exclaimed about the the closest in the team’s history to qualfun that they had racing against such ifying to compete at the national level tough competition. Mejia believes the and Mejia hopes that the combination most significant part of the competiof veteran rowers and talented novices tion was that the rowers completed the may earn them a spot in the national race satisfied with themselves. “Workraces next year. ing hard to surpass our own expectaBut for now the team will reflect on tions…that’s all better [for the team],” this past season. “I’m very happy with she said.

ELLIE MUSGRAVE the girls, who in their first ear of rowBefore the team even had the chance At practice, Blair rowers prepared for local ing managed to beat five boats of girls to put in work on the water they had to races and the National competition. who have been rowing three years,” fight just to be admitted into the race.

Mejia said.

The team had previously won the

insideSPORTS Best of Blair Sports See page 27 As Blair’s athletics seasons come to a close, the best teams, athletes and moments are honored and remembered.

DC Sports Comeback See page 25 Sports teams in the nation’s capital are rapidly on the rise with the Nationals, Wizards, Redskins and even the Orioles impressing fans.