Saturday, February 11, 2012 8:11 am
Montgomery Blair High School's Online Student Newspaper

Molly Ellison

Online Photo Editor
molly.p.ellison@gmail.com
Here's a song to describe myself: Never Say Never

Galleries (24) Changing Seasons: Fall Edition

Blair's Next Top Star
Wings of Fancy
Stop Signs
Cherry Blossom Festival
Guys & Dolls
Where in D.C.?
Discover Engineering Day at the National Building Museum
Washington Auto Show
Martin Luther King Day
ICE! How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Norwegian Holiday at Union Station
Holiday Lights
Community Service In and Around Blair
Blair Hair
Takoma Street Festival
New Teachers
Takoma Park Folk Festival
Fashion's Night Out
Back to School
Fall Sports Preview
Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
AFI SilverDocs Festival

Pictures (339)

Freshman Ismail Lapp-Kamara completes his look with a cool hat.
Junior goalie Michel Devynck played a stellar game against Poolesville.
Senior Theo Remy drives as coach Pigrom watches from the sidelines.
Senior Rick Narcisse is fouled on a shot attempt. Blair fell to 3-5 on the season with Friday's loss to Sherwood.
A Ride On bus prepares to turn at the intersection of Fenton Street and Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring. The new Montgomery County transit system may offer a convenient alternative to Ride On buses.
Recent Blair alumni speak about their college experiences to a group of students in the auditorium during lunch Thursday.
The Blair Instrumental Music Program has a chance to win up to $10,000.
Recent Blair alumni speak about their college experiences to a group of students in the auditorium during lunch Thursday.
A Ride On bus prepares to turn at the intersection of Fenton Street and Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring. The new Montgomery County transit system may offer a convenient alternative to Ride On buses.
Senior Gabrielle Smith in a game last December, two weeks before a concusion sidelined her for the year.
A senior Blazer was stabbed at Northwood on Tuesday night while trying to break up an argument.
Knee-high socks add a unique touch to one of winter's best basics, leather boots.
Junior Gabriela Cruz accessorizes with one Blair's biggest trends, a cute, but comfortable, circle scarf.
A hand-painted sign sits in front of Blair at the intersection of University Boulevard and Colesville Road advertising the MBHS fall play, The Three Musketeers. The show opens November 4 and runs through November 11.
In early September, senior forward Johanna Lopez committed to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Members of Blair's Student Government Association (SGA) work on a poster for the upcoming freshman elections.
Classic Toms, such as these, are a comfortable staple of Blazers' fall wardrobes.
Blair student Taylor Smith mixes stripes with a fun fall trend, tribal print.
Senior Genesis Nunez signs up to participate in Blair's Fall blood drive during 6th period lunch. The biannual event is being hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) and will take place September 20th.
Students stand outside of the counseling office Wednesday during 6th period lunch, waiting to meet with their counselors to discuss schedule changes. The Blair 2011-2012 school year started this week, and with a new school year comes new classes.
Eager film fans wait in the stand-by lines for tickets to one of the several movies screening at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring on Friday night. The showings are a part of the 9th annual AFI Silver/Discovery Channel SilverDocs Documentary Film Festival that will run through Sunday, June 26th. The festival attracts filmmakers and industry professionals from all over the world and many Blair students attend or volunteer at the event.
Graduating Seniors Jeanne and Lauren Jarvis-Gibson perform an original medley of ten songs, ranging from the summer favorite "I'm Your's" to new hit, "The Lazy Song."
Junior John Rose, better known as JR, raps an original song that raises awareness about the serious issue of bullying.
Graduating Senior Amaris Morrobel sings a cover of a Shakira song, even being able to hit some of Shakira's difficult notes.
Blair's high energy African Dance Troupe make a dramatic entrance and perform an upbeat routine onstage.
In-between acts, the nights Emcee's joke with each other and the audience on stage.
Blair Junior Audrey Tchoukoua sings the opera classic, Ave Maria.
Junior Michael Strautmatis performs a cover of John Mayer's song Clarity, even including an intricate guitar solo.
Justin Boyd, who has been a musician since the age of eight, plays a piece on the piano and creates a change of pace for the show.
Graduating Senior Rowela Silvestre plays guitar and sings to the night's crowd.
Fraternal twins Adrienne and Zoe Jackson are looking at very different colleges, mainly because their interests are so contrasting.
Senior co-captain Pierce Marston is a reliable pitcher for Blair baseball.
Attendees file into the auditorium right before Blair's Got Talent begins. The 2nd annual event was held Friday night at Blair and was a schoolwide talent show, boasting a variety of performers.
Students congregate in the Student Activities Center (SAC) around 10:30 am Tuesday morning as they wait for the bell to ring for the first class of the day. Due to High School Assessments (HSA), students who don't have an HSA don't have to show up at school until the beggining of 5th period through Thursday of this week.
Sophomore wing attack Caren Holmes follows up after a draw. The girls' lacrosse season came to an end after Thursday night's loss.
Senior attack Lyla Shapiro shoots against the Patriot defense. Blair lost 20-9 against Wootton.
Junior defense Julia Lewando cradles the ball past a Wootton player. Lewando scored three of Blair's nine goals.
Butterfly's eat various fruits set out on a plate for them.
Large Atlas Moths perch on the side of a tree.
A Monarch butterfly and a Queen butterfly fly harmoniously.
A male Great Mormon butterfly flutters through the flowers of the greenhouse.
The greenhouse where the butterfly's are held sits tucked away in the vast Brookside Gardens of Wheaton.
A butterfly rests on the edge of leaf, preparing to take flight.
A female member of the Great Mormon species sits delicately on the windowsill of the greenhouse.
An aerial view of a Lemon Pansy butterfly gives a unique view of its owl-esque wings.
A smaller Atala butterfly sits on a leaf.
A member of the Buckeye Butterfly species perches on a leaf.
Value Village, located on University Boulevard in Hyattsville, sells a wide range of goods and even displays some outside.
Boutique second-hand store, Mustard Seed, is located on Wisconsin Avenue, just a block from the Bethesda Metro.
Senior Robert Huang sets the ball for a teammate.
Ettinger, pictured here treating a baseball player with an ice pack, acts as the team trainer at an array of school sports games by helping athletes with medical issues when needed.
Today seniors displayed their Capstone projects, which are final presentations relating to their experience in the Academies at Blair. Here, senior Emily Haislip displays her project, which is based on her art school portfolio.
Sophomore Ricci Huang prepares to hit the ball.
Senior Michael Zhang and sophomore Tony Liang prevent a Churchill kill.
AP Physics and Marine Biology students sit in the courtyard with science equipment after returning from a field trip to the Anacostia river. Some Spanish language students also went on a field trip Thursday.
As a joke, residents put up a "Squirrel Crossing" sign in their yard.
The word "Bush!" is vandalized on a stop sign, creating the phrase "Stop Bush!" and making a reference to former US president George W. Bush.
A sticker featuring a mysterious face decorates a "Neighborhood Crime Watch" sign.
Just for fun, a tiny "shazam" is spray painted onto a stop sign, creating the obscure phrase "Stop Shazam."
The remnants of a once red graffiti mark are still slightly visible on this yellow "Speed Hump" sign.
An unidentifiable tag throws the viewer off because it is placed on the back of a sign, instead of the front.
Making a political statement, a "war" sticker is placed after the words "Do Not Enter, One Way," on a sign off of Carroll Avenue.
Senior Lucas Babinec eyes the ball, waiting for the perfect moment to sprint towards the next base.
Giant balloons resembling Japanese lanterns float down the parade route.
Atticus Shaffer from the ABC show, The Middle, waves to patrons. Shaffer was the Grand Marshall for this year's parade.
Tuba players in the United States Marine Corps marching band play a patriotic song. The band was one of the many military groups to take part in the festivities.
Performers with the Okinawa America Ryukyu Culture Association, dressed in an intricate dragon costume, take a break from the parade.
Members of the drum and perform a Japanese dance in traditional clothing.
Members of the National Park Service's Cherry Tree Maintenance Team wave to the crowd along with their mascot, a beaver.
This year's Cherry Blossom Queen's were some of the many beauty queen's to be featured in the parade.
Drummers from Tamagawa University accompany their school's dancers.
The library, which is facing staff reductions for next year, sits open to students and teachers for use during the school day.
A table is set up outside of the library Tuesday during lunch for eligible students to register to vote in any upcoming political elections. In order to be eligible, students have to be eighteen years old by November 6th of this year.
In a homeroom class, report cards sit on a table waiting to be claimed by students. Blazers got their third quarter report cards back Thursday and the fourth, and final, marking period of the school year began last week.
Members of the ensemble end a big dance number with a dramatic pose.
Senior Clara Kelly, a member of the shows ensemble, leaps through the aid during a dance number.
Senior Bill Griffis plays Nathan Detroit, the head of a gambling fraternity, and his longtime girlfriend Miss Adelaide, a dancer at the Hot Box club, discuss the state of their relationship in Act I of the show.
The Hot Box nightclub's emcee, played by senior Alec Wurzbacher, introduces a dance act.
Sergeant Sarah Brown, played by senior Katerina Klavon, leads the Save-A-Soul Mission group in recruiting sinners amidst the busy streets of New York.
Senior Tyler Fultz and Junior Audrey Tchoukoua play Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet, both friends of Nathan Detroit.
Sky Masterson, right, played by freshman Langston Cotman, attempts to woo Sergeant Sarah Brown in order to beat Nathan Detroit in a bet.
Members of the ensemble perform in-sync during the overture.
Members of Blair's stage crew practice pulling up the curtains during a run-through of the show.
Blair's pit orchestra warms up before performing a piece of music from the show.
Extra costumes hang in a dressing room backstage and include everything from modest dresses to sequined show stoppers.
Cast members sneak through a backstage underpass, which connects the two sides of the stage so actors can enter and exit from either side without disturbing anyone.
Female cast members do hair and make-up before the show.
Sophomore William Cai sets the ball for sophomore Tony Liang.
Senior Robert Huang attempts to send the ball over two Sherwood defenders.
If you're a Blazer who relies on make-up assignments to raise your grade, it's important to establish a good relationship with your teachers so that they're more accepting of your late work come end-of-quarter time.
Peirce Marston, a reliable pitcher for Blair's varsity baseball team, prepares to pitch during the second game of the season.
Members of the Guys & Dolls cast and crew set up the stage for Thursday's dress rehearsal. The musical premiers Friday night and goes through April 9th.
Senior Ben Buchholz hinders Clarksburg with his effective fielding during Friday's game.
Senior Peirce Marston overpowers the Coyotes with his efficient pitching during Friday's game.
Junior Christian Peña rests after giving blood thursday afternoon. Twice a year Blair's Student Government Association (SGA) holds a school wide blood drive in which students sixteen or older are allowed to participate.
The concert orchestra and symphonic orchestra both received superior marks at the District 2 Orchestra Festival. Here, concert orchestra teacher Daryl Clark conducts the symphonic band.
Senior goalie Kit Durban made a few nice saves on Monday night, but ultimately, Blair's lack of depth led to 13 Whitman goals.
Senior D-Pole Carlos Gonzalez played well despite his team's 13-3 loss.
Located on the grounds of the Old Soldier's Home in a residential area of the city, Lincoln's Cottage sits open to visitors. Lincoln lived in the cottage off and on throughout the Civil War and the building was opened to the public only three years ago.
Depicting one of the most beloved Shakespeare characters of all time, this statue of Puck from "A Midsummer Night's Dream", sits on the grounds of the Folger Shakespeare Library and faces the Library of Congress.
Reflecting a darker time in American History, this is the building in which President Lincoln was embalmed after being assassinated. The building, located on Capitol Hill, now houses the Folger Shakespeare Library's offices.
Though rundown, this house has historic value because it was built before the city of Washington even existed. Located down the street from Eastern Market in Southeast DC, the house was once sat on a plantation and was visited by George Washington.
The Georgetown Waterfront has several big boathouses, including Potomac Boat Club and Thompson's Boat Club, but none are quite like the quaint Jack's Boathouse. Nestled in between trees and down a quiet road right on the shore of the Potomac River, Jack's rents canoes and kayak's.
The site of the distinctive gargoyles is none other than the National Cathedral. Construction for the building started in 1907 and continued until the late 1960's, this gave over sixty years for stone masons to put in exhaustive, detailed work on the hundreds of gargoyles located all around the Cathedral's exterior.
These gargoyles, sculpted to look like frogs and other bizarre creatures, sit atop a very famous building located on Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest DC.
This run down warehouse right next to the New York Avenue Metro Station is the site of the Beatle's first concert ever in the United States. Before the Beatle's came to town, the building was a minor league hockey arena. Now, the building sits covered in graffiti and is used as a parking garage.
A. Litteri, Incorporated is an Italian wholesale market located in near Gallaudet University in DC. The area the shop is located in is a maze of warehouses and parking lots filled with vans and trucks, resembling an industrial park in Newark more than the Nation's Capitol.
Surrounded by trees and only a short walk from the columns, visitors to the arboretum can peer through branches and see smokestacks off in the city. The arboretum is located on a hilltop in the Northeast quadrant of DC and has nearly 450 acres filled with trees, gardens, and roads.
Columns formerly located on the East Portico of the National Capitol Building sit on a hilltop at the unusually located US National Arboretum. The columns have been at the Arboretum since the 1980's and are an obscure, lesser known DC attraction.
Juniors Julia Lewando, Hannah Jo Mounty Weinstock, and Edie Hopkins wear green in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Many Blazers showed their Irish pride Thursday by wearing green attire, ranging from festive shoes, to pants, to jewelry.
An event attendee screen-print her own t-shirt, which features the title of this year's SilverQuill literary arts magazine. Other hands-on demonstrations were at the fundraiser, including beading and paper making.
(From left) Seniors Jeanne Jarvis-Gibson, Malaika Newman and Lauren Jarvis-Gibson perform a cover of Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift's song Breathe. Other performers included everything from alternative rock, to jazz, to celtic folk music.
Freshman Amalia Perez plays with a lacrosse stick during lunch. Many students were carrying around lacrosse sticks, baseball gear, and other sports equipment throughout the day because spring sports tryouts started this afternoon.
Patrons file in and out of the National Building Museum, located on F Street near downtown DC.
A young patron excitedly prepares to launch items in her catapult across the table at an exhibit sponsored by PBS Kids.
A close look at a hand-built robot reveals the inner workings of the machine. The robot was built by a youth robotics team and sponsored by NASA.
A Tsunami Wave Tank, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, simulates the effects of a Tsunami. The exhibit was staffed by students from Howard University and the machine drew large crowds.
An engineer from the Semiconductor Industry Association describes how her technology works to patrons.
A giant catapult sits on a table, waiting to be tested. Patrons at the event were allowed to make smaller versions of the machine to use and take home.
An engineer volunteering for the day explains how to a group how a soil quality tester works.
The main hall of the National Building Museum is packed with children as their parents as they make their way through the various booths at the event.
A volunteer hands out a bag of slime to a group of young museum goers. The slime was a fun addition to the event.
Swarms of children and parents sit on the floor of the main hall of the museum and build structures out of newspaper, cardboard, and tape.
Event goers attempt to catch popcorn with nets at an exciting, but messy, popcorn display.
Junior Prusse Kakpovi fills out a scheduling form while waiting outside of her counselor's office. Students have been flooding the counselor's office in the past few weeks in order to meet the deadlines for turning in their schedules for next year.
Freshman Erica Adarkwa dribbles past a Jaguar defender.
Sophomore Mimi Verdonk shoots a basket.
Ninth grade students fill the auditorium Thursday during 8th period for an assembly about selecting an academy.
A student signs into the boys tennis informational meeting Thursday after school. Boy's tennis, as well as a number of other sports, have held pre-season information meetings and many more will follow as Spring sports season fast approaches.
The site for the Takoma Park Public Works Building is mid-construction.
This bright green, LI-ION Wave vehicle is 100% electric and will be available to the public December of this year.
The Ohio State University's College of Engineering shows of one of its proudest creations, the world's fastest electric vehicle.
This 2008 Tesla Roadster has a unique paint job that changes from blue to green to purple, depending on the angle one views it from. It is also one of the many electric cars on display at the auto show.
The unconventional 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS impresses auto show goers, and will put a $183,000 dent in the pocket of anyone who decides to buy it.
The hood of this bright red 1965 Mustang is propped open to reveal the cars impressive engine.
Serving as a tribute to the classic film, Back to the Future, this 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 sits on display in the downstairs showroom.
A 1958 Chevy Impala pays tribute to the 1973 George Lucas film, American Graffiti.
This historic sports-car boasts an impressive maroon and silver striped paint-job. Sports-car's owned by area residents were submitted into the auto show in addition to the models displayed by car manufacturers.
A race track for remote controlled cars sits in the downstairs showroom for kids to play with.
Clever novelty signs hang at the auto show's merchandise booth.
The different parts of a car engine are displayed for auto show goers to get a better idea of what the motors in their cars are made of.
Fiat displays several wheel and hubcap designs at their modern booth in the auto shows upstairs showroom.
Italian carmaker Fiat shows off a colorful car that has a unique paint-job designed by an artist.
American auto-maker Chevy displays its eco-friendly, electric vehicle, the 2011 Chevy Volt.
A Cadillac protoype vehicle, which is not yet available to the public, sits in the upstairs showroom.
Auto show goers get a close look at vehicles from an array of major car makers in the upstairs showroom. The Washington Auto Show takes up two huge showrooms at the downtown DC Convention Center where the event is held.
Snow covers sidewalks and yards midday Thursday. Due to about five inches of snow that fell Wednesday night, students had the day off Thursday.
The Lady Blazers watch as the ball nears the basket.
Junior guard Morgan Chase is airborn while shooting the ball.
Junior forward Rose Kalala dribbles past Northwood defense.
Beakers sit on the countertop of an AP Science classroom. AP Science classes will reap the benefits of the PTSA mini-grants and use the money for equipment.
Blair students practice a dance routine before auditioning for the Spring musical, Guys & Dolls. Auditions are being held throughout the next few days in the afternoon in both Blair's Theatre and the Chorus classroom.
Visitors flood the Lincoln Memorial and stand on the same steps that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his infamous, "I Have A Dream," speech on.
The three members of the Martha Redbone Trio perform on the main floor of the Museum. The pieces performed reflected the experiences of American Indians and infused strong lead vocals with modern twists, the electric guitar and piano.
Visitors come and go throughout the entire main floor of the National Museum of the American Indian during the second day of the museum's Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. The museum's event, called, "Sharing the Dream: A Multicultural Celebration of Love & Justice," hosted a variety of activities including arts and crafts, performances, and guest speakers.
Parents and their children participate in themed arts and crafts activities at the American Indian Museum's MLK celebration event.
In order to get the full experience of the museum and festival events, visitors take a guided tour.
Dr. Phoebe Farris, a member of the Powhatan/Renape tribes, gives a talk on the work of various mixed American Indian, African American, and Latin American artists.
Social Studies students retake quizzes and tests Thursday during lunch. Many Blair students rushed to turn in final projects and take tests before the marking period ended.
Members of Blair's Women's Advocacy Club will distribute petitions for Sara Kruzan and Sakineh Mohammad on Thursday and Friday. Here, the club watches a film about Kruzan.
A colorfully lit ice tunnel connects exhibition rooms, and leads the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas to it's next chapter.
Crowds of ice show visitors in blue parkas walk through the exhibit.
Some of the little un-colored ice in the exhibit depicts the Grinch's evil lair.
As visitors enter the nine-degree chill they are greeted by a large sign sculpted in the unique style of Dr. Seuss.
A colorful wreath lets visitors know that the unique holiday event is over, and that the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas has come to a close.
The Grinch and all of Whoville sit down on Christmas day to have a festive Roast Beast Feast.
The Who's of Whoville congregate on Christmas morning after the grinch has played his nasty trick on them, but the Grinch soon realizes that his idea had not worked at all. Christmas still came.
The Grinch pops out of a fireplace in order to steal some Who's stockings in an effort to make their Christmas terrible.
The Grinch admires his sleigh, led by his dog Max, and prepares to pose as Saint Nick in order to make Christmas not come for the Who's of Whoville's.
A train track lined with bright pink lights swerves through colorful stacks of Who's presents.
A tiny house in Whoville perches atop mounds of ice and snow in a nighttime scene, which includes a starry background and hanging snowflakes.
Junior forward Johanna Lopez drives to the basket.
Junior guard Adrienne Jackson dribbles past a Springbrook defender.
Restaurants in Union Station do their own holiday decorating, such as these colorful lights displayed in the Thunder Grill.
Festive decorations add holiday cheer to the shopping area of Union Station. The station holds an array of stores, selling everything from clothes to comics to books, and is a popular destination for both pre and post holiday shopping.
Bright holiday wreaths decorate the three main arches on the front exterior of the historic Union Station building in the heart of DC.
One of the many holiday wreaths in Union Station is displayed on a wall in the picturesque main hall.
The Union Station Christmas Tree, donated by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and decorated with the flags of both Norway and the United States, sits in the stations main hall.
A scenic model train display called "A Norwegian Christmas," sits in a wing off Union Station's main hall for visitors to watch as the train moves along its tracks.
Ticket desks in the station are adorned by simple holiday decorations. Travelers can admire the festive atmosphere while eating in the food court below or wandering around the beautiful halls and train gates in the station.
Small boutique shops in a wing off the main hall of Union Station offer a huge selection of merchandise for holiday travelers to browse through.
The facade of the Reptile House at the Zoo is eerily lit up by green spotlights and its doorway is framed by tiny, bright orange lights. Many of the animal houses, including the Small Mammals House, are open to visitors during the light display and offer refuge from the cold winter weather.
A komodo dragon light display, situated in front of the Reptile House, turns its head.
Visitors can take a break from the animal displays at the Zoo by walking on a footpath lined with bright arches, trees, and snow.
Pedestrians walk through light patterns projected on a brick path while making their way past a tree covered in green lights.
A smaller tree tucked away near the Zoo's animal barn is illuminated by strings of both white and multicolored lights.
Visitors leave the Zoo lights display under a giant light banner and star patterns projected on a walkway by the Rock Creek Parkway entrance to the Zoo.
Blair's student acapella group, InToneNation, sings to students during a seventh period class. The group visited class rooms throughout the school day singing holiday songs such as "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" and "Santa Baby."
Math Teacher Jacob Scott tutors students during lunch in preparation for the Maryland HSA's.
Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in downtown DC has a popular ice rink perfect for ice skating during the winter months.
Restaurants like Rosoce's Pizzeria have shown an interest in acquiring the new liquor license.
A student buys a holiday candy gram during lunch to send to a friend. As a fundraiser, Blair's National Honors Society is selling sweet treats that students can buy and send to friends in the school. All of the money raised will go to Habitat for Humanity.
Jazz Band students warm up with teacher Ms. Rogers minutes before going on stage. Thursday night members of all of Blair's Jazz Bands showcased their talents at their Winter Concert and performed in the school's auditorium for family and friends.
Junior Guard Gabrielle Smith dribbles up the court.
Lady Blazers fight for posession of the ball during their game against Clarksburg.
SGA President Adam Biru organizes collection boxes for the food drive, which are put in every first period class.
On Thanksgiving, also the start of the holiday season, leaves cover the ground and bare trees show that winter is coming. Students have Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving break and are back at school on Monday the 29th.
A poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, is hung up outside of the Regal Majestic movie theatre in Downtown Silver Spring, where many Blazers will attend the movie's midnight premiere.
Sophomore Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg, center, stands with fellow members of City at Peace DC and listens to comments from others about her presentation.
Senior Claire Douglas leads a discussion in a meeting for Students for Global Responsibilities (SGR). SGR is a student group that participates in various service projects throughout the community and is currently organizing their annual fundraiser, the SGR Spectacular.
Sophomores Aaron Weckstein, left, and Elan Stern, center, play a card game with residents of the Victory Towers in Takoma Park at the weekly game night. Victory Towers is a senior citizens assisted living facility and holds a game night every Tuesday, which Weckstein and Stern try to volunteer at as much as possible.
Senior Laura Gagliardo works on contacting the organization So Others Might Eat (SOME), an organization that works in DC on improving the lives of the homeless and poor by feeding and clothing them, giving them medical attention, and offering job training and placement. For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Gagliardo is working with SOME to bring healthy snacks to school children in the city.
Senior Tej Ganti, right, helps Senior Mercy Johnson, left, with a computer program during Peer Tutoring, held every lunch in the Media Center. At Peer Tutoring, students volunteer to help their fellow students with work they are having trouble with.
From right, Juniors Yisel Cintora-Vega and Tyler Maton, Senior Nissi Chilkamari, and Junior Edlawit Gebre, look over Blair's Eco-Report Card and Brainstorm ideas of how to make the school more eco-friendly. All four students are members of the school's Green Club, which works to improve the environment and promote eco-friendly activity in Blair.
Different facts and statistics concerning domestic violence and sexual abuse are posted throughout a hallway in Blair. The posters were put up by Women's Advocacy Club in order to inform and raise awareness about certain issues in the community. This display of advocacy shows that there are a variety of ways to get your voice heard.
Sophomores Avi Li and Michael Morganstein set up the bake sale portion of their fundraiser concert Charity: Water, held November 12 at the Electric Maid in DC. Li, Morganstein, and a few of their classmates organized the concert and several student bands performed, including Midnight Sun, Bad Sauce, Door to the Sky, and Ladle Fight. All of the proceeds from the show went to the organization Charity:Water, which provides people living in underdeveloped countries with clean drinking water.
Freshman Genna Kules, far left, watches a performance during a meeting of the youth organization, City at Peace DC. Kules, as well as several other Blair students, are members of the organization, which promotes cultural understanding and non-violent conflict resolution through the performing arts.
Junior Alex Stewart battles a Viking for the puck.
Sophomore Eden Wondimu's long, straight hair is uniquely dyed: turning from dark brown to golden brown around her shoulders.
Junior Israel Dempsey constantly changes her hair color and style, going from short to long or brown to blonde. Dempsey recently dyed the tips of her short, curly hair from blonde to bright red.
Freshman Liam Johnstone makes a statement with his short hair dyed fiery red.
Sophomore Sabine Lipten styles her hair straight with long bangs sweeping across, a simple but interesting look.
Senior Clara Kelly's short hair is dyed blonde from her original color, red, and Junior Lena Myerson's hair is dyed a blonde similar to Kelly's, even though she is naturally a brunette.
Both Senior Angel Canales, left, and Senior Nathan Ipanang, right, prefer to wear their hair styled and spiked straight up. Ipanang claims it only takes him four or five minutes in the morning to style, while Canales prefers not to say.
Senior Alec Wurzbacher works on a pottery piece on the wheel during Ceramics Club. The club meets every Thursday after school and is facilitated by ceramics teacher, Jonathan Verock. Members of the club can use their creativity to work on pieces by hand, throw on the wheel, or glaze finished works.
Cold, rainy weather keeps the courtyards nearly empty during lunch. The bad weather drew everyone inside and crowded the SAC and Blair Boulevard, where students hang out and eat during their lunch periods.
Juniors Martekor Martey, Julia Lewando and Rachel Smith, of the girls' varsity soccer team, talk in the team room before practice. Due to budget cuts, the varsity team hasn't had new uniforms in five years.
Before this year's budget cuts, athletic funding payed for equipment such as nets, uniforms and game balls
Junior Molly Flannagan buys a Halloween Candy Gram from sophomore Langston Taylor during lunch. The Halloween Candy Grams are a fundraiser for Blair Network Communications.
Junior Libby Wei passes the ball.
Junior Nika Lilley hits past Northwest blockers.
Sophomore Kathlyn Skolnik tries to keep the ball from landing on Blair's side of the court.
Members of the SGA rush around the SGA room selling Homecoming Dance tickets to students waiting outside. Friday is the last day for students to buy tickets to the dance.
A student scans lists posted along the walls of Blair Boulevard for her PSAT testing rooms after school Tuesday. The PSAT, which stands for the Practice SAT, will be held the morning of Wednesday, October 13th, for all Sophomores and Juniors.
Furlow's speed, size and athleticism help him blow past defenders.
Giant cats and dogs wander through the festival to cheer up, or scare away, young festival patrons.
A local church take advantage of the huge crowds, drawn by the Street Festival, to hold a Yard Sale. Many downtown Takoma Park stores followed suit, and set up stands on the sidewalk to draw in passerbys.
A brightly decorated stand sells a variety of clever shirts, expressing different social and political views.
Kids and their parents take a break from the festivities and play at a nearby park.
Handmade, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and pendants are sold at a stand at the festival.
An array of unique items are sold at the Street Festival every year, such as these printed dog collars.
A colorfully decorated ice cream truck sits on Carroll selling ice cream to the hot festival goers.
A street performer packs up after performing where the Street Festival and weekly Farmer's Market cross paths.
A member of the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department talks with a teenage festival goer. The local police station also had a stand at the festival, along with many other businesses and groups.
Pedestrians crowd Carroll Avenue as they make their way between different craft and food stands. The festival stretched mostly along Carroll Avenue, tracing the Maryland/DC border.
A young festival patron waits for a smoothie at one of the festival's many food stands. Other food served at the festival included falafel and funnel cake.
Freshman Dominique Pope and Sophomore Jordan Schroeder jump to set the ball.
Junior Jamie Kator maneuvers around a Wootton defender.
Senior Willa Schneiderhan takes the ball away from a Patriot defender.
Senior co-captain and first doubles player Hannah Ho excelled with her teamwork and communication, which gave her team the win.
Fourth singles sophomore Allison Whitney fought well and wore gloves to protect her fingers from the cold.
Freshman Desiree Aleibar was elected the class of 2014's president with 55 percent of the vote.
SGA Members facilitate Freshman Elections in the library. Candidates made speeches Tuesday and students voted Wednesday and Thursday.
Senior Santiago Orbes fights with Springbrook defenders for possession of the ball.
Junior midfielder Alex Demouy battles with a Springbrook forward to keep the ball out of Blair territory.
Sophomore forward Zoe McCarthy takes a shot on goal.
Senior co-captain Janet Henkai fights for possession.
Junior defense Hadley Luker protects goal.
Students play football during the sunny weather Friday during lunch.
Sophomore Kathlyn Skolnik prepares for her jump serve.
Sophomore Linda Kang passes the ball.
Junior Libby Wei digs the ball.
Senior co-captain Ann Choi wears her game face while preparing for the return.
During her 1st period Honors Biology class Ms. Brown collects papers before going over the daily agenda.
In a 12th Grade English Class, Mr. Stelzner discusses work with a student. Mr. Stelzner teaches both Honors and Non-Honors 12th Grade English.
Ms. Biggs, the principal's new secretary, sorts papers after a meeting with Principal Williams.
Ms. Abdul-Rahim, the newest addition to Blair's Music Department, video tapes a performance of her first year guitar class. In addition to teaching first and second year guitar students, Ms. Abdul-Rahim teaches Chorus.
Mr. Ekatomatis looks on at a student presentation during his AP Chemistry class. During his first year in the Blair Science Department, Mr. Ekatomatis is teaching Chemistry as well as Physics.
During her 1st period Health class, Ms. McAuliffe teaches a lesson to students. In addition to teaching Health classes, Ms. McAuliffe teaches Specialty PE.
Ms. Levesque, a new teacher in the ESOL Department, teaches her US History class.
Jeremy Stelzner teaches a 12th grade Honors English class.
The English department released a new 12th grade curriculum this year, which includes a unit for seniors to work on college essays in Honors English classes.
Sophomore Allison Whitney paces herself in the longest match of the day.
Sophomore Janvi Raichura watches the ball as she prepares for a backhand hit.
Many different crafts, jewelry, and pieces of art are for sale at the festival, including this wood sculpture by sculptor, Tom Yates.
Folk band, the Honey Dewdrops, performs at the Seventh Heaven Stage. The band released their debut album in 2009 and recently released their second, These Old Roots.
Members of the Honors Jazz Ensemble practice during the sixth period class.
Somapa Thai Dance Company teaches a workshop open to all patrons of the Folk Festival at an indoor stage. The dance company also performed earlier in the day at the World Stage.
A cook at a food stand prepares a popular Folk Festival dish, Teriyaki chicken. The festival offers an array of foods, including crab cakes, pizza, and fried oreos.
Tie-Dye, a Takoma Park staple, is on sale in the craft section of the festival. The stand, Dyenosaur Tie Dye Company, based in Santa Cruz, California, sells t-shirts, dresses, blankets, and more.
At the Grove Stage, festival-goers look through different CD's and merchandise from different bands. Performers at the festival rely on merchandise to make a profit, since they do not get paid for performing at the festival.
The Rock Creek Morris Women, based in Washington, D.C., perform a traditional English dance in a crowd of people in front of Takoma Park Middle School. The school is where the festival takes place every year.
Middle School band, Ladle Fight, plays an acoustic set at the Grassy Nook stage. The band just released their first album, and has played at the Folk Festival in year's past.
Southeast DC native and Grammy nominated musician, Christylez Bacon, performs a song at the festival. The guitar, human beat-box, and drums are just a few of the many instruments that Bacon plays.
A sound man at the Grassy Nook stage adjusts sound levels before a performer plays, making sure that the sound quality is perfect for the performance.
A young boy scout from Takoma Park's Den 33 helps a patron across a rope walk challenge. Every year as a fundraiser, the troop sells tickets that people can use for a variety of games.
Blazers walk along Blair Boulevard during the activity fair Thursday. The event, which allows Blair groups and clubs to advertise and recruit new members, will be held Friday as well.
Senior quarterback Elisee Francois scored three touchdowns against the Knights, leading Blair to their first victory of the season.
Senior co-captain Caleb Furlow eludes a Wheaton defender during a 43-42 win on Wednesday night.
Cars pack the busy shopping area at the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue.
Taking a break from the busy sidewalks of Georgetown, shoppers take a free rickshaw ride, which were given with the receipt from a participating store.
A professional hip-hop dancer performs in a display window at the popular M Street vintage boutique, Annie Creamcheese. Many other retailers used similar techniques, such as placing models in and around the store, to lure shoppers.
A popular feature of Fashion's Night Out are the sales, like at Annie Creamcheese.
Members of the famous acrobatic show, Cirque du Soleil, teach a dance to patrons at the Vitamin Water Zero party at Dean and Deluca. The troupe is in town to perform their newest show, Ovo.
Freshman Nick Byron and senior Eli Okun run lines before auditions for the fall school play, Macbeth. The last day for auditions was Friday. Callbacks will be held Monday after school.
Senior co-captain Hannah Ho played to the very end in a nerve-wracking tie-breaker set.
Junior Stella Bartholet fights to keep the games close in a difficult match.
Temple Sinai, one of many Jewish Synagogues in the DC Area, held Rosh Hashanah services Thursday morning. MCPS students were given the day off due to Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year's
Junior co-captain Kevin Fallet attempts to get the ball out of the hands of a Jaguar and out of Blazer territory.
Sophomore Aron Coste battles with a Northwest player for possession of the ball.
Blair students and staff adjust to minor changes in the schedule.
Senior Jonathan Aiken tries to bring down an opposing ballcarrier.
Senior co-captain Assani Mudimbi rushed for 115 yards, made six tackles and caught an interception in Friday night's loss to Paint Branch.
Seniors Jasmine Brantley and Victoria Luc, cheerleaders, paint signs outside of the SGA office Thursday. The signs advertise the opening football game on Friday, Blair will play Paint Branch at 6:30 PM.
Students congregate by the SAC entrance and socialize, waiting for their buses to come so they can go home.
Buses sit row after row in the parking lot on the University side of Blair as students get on.
Blazers make their way through the hallways after their last class of the day.
Blair students who live close enough to school can walk home, and some go across the street to the popular hang out area, Four Corners.
Sophomore Eloise Goldsmith follows the ball after passing to a team mate.
Senior Lyla Shapiro makes a clean pass during a drill.
Senior Janet Henkai hits the ball to a team mate.
Senior Kit Durban kicks the ball to a team mate during practice.
Senior Andrew Lichter stands open for a pass during a drill.
Putting a spin on the classic ferris wheel, fairgoers can ride in circles on swings, suspended high in the air. They just have to be careful not to lose their shoes.
If a player is lucky enough to win one of the many different fair games, they can choose their prize from a huge selection of stuffed animals.
Sitting at the top of the ferris wheel boasts an amazing view of the entire fair grounds, one can see from the animal barns all the way to the rides right below them.
Sitting at the top of the ferris wheel boasts an amazing view of the entire fair grounds, one can see from the animal barns all the way to the rides right below them.
Passengers are driven around in a circle, and are even completely upside down for a moment, on the FireBall, a popular fair ride.
Ring-a-Bottle, a classic fair game, challenges players to throw small red rings onto the necks of glass soda bottles. The game is extremely challenging, but rewards include an array of stuffed animals
The Pharaoh's Fury, one of the first rides patrons see as they enter the fair, swings passengers around in a boat shaped car.
The agricultural fair boasts many different food stands, including The Fried Dough Shop, an ornate stand that sells funnel cakes and drinks.
Goats are one of the most popular animals on display at the agricultural fair, along with horses, pigs, and cows. Animals in the fair can be entered in various competitions and are given awards for many different things.
Patrons look at animals on display in one of the several barns that are in the livestock section of the fair.
Putting a spin on the classic ferris wheel, fair-goers can ride in circles on swings, suspended high in the air. They just have to be careful not to lose their shoes.
If a player is lucky enough to win one of the many different fair games, they can choose their prize from a huge selection of stuffed animals.
Sitting at the top of the ferris wheel boasts an amazing view of the entire fair grounds, one can see from the animal barns all the way to the rides right below them
Passengers are driven around in a circle, and are even completely upside down for a moment, on the FireBall, a popular fair ride.
Ring-a-Bottle, a classic fair game, challenges players to throw small red rings onto the necks of glass soda bottles. The game is extremely challenging, but rewards include an array of stuffed animals.
The Pharaoh's Fury, one of the first rides patrons see as they enter the fair, swings passengers around in a boat shaped car.
The agricultural fair boasts many different food stands, including The Fried Dough Shop, an ornate stand that sells funnel cakes and drinks.
A water main break at Fenton and Thayer Avenues earlier this week in Silver Spring disrupted the evening commute through the busy intersection, even though it kept pedestrians cool in the heat.
A water main break at Fenton and Thayer Avenues earlier this week in Silver Spring disrupted the evening commute through the busy intersection, even though it kept pedestrians cool in the heat.
A water main break at Fenton and Thayer Avenues earlier this week in Silver Spring disrupted the evening commute through the busy intersection, even though it kept pedestrians cool in the heat.
The ACE Hardware store in Downtown Takoma Park sits open for business on a quiet July day. The much anticipated store opened July 7.
Volunteers stand outside of a theatre in the AFI Silver during a screening, waiting to collect ballots used for rating the film.
A sign-in booklet sits on a counter in the Volunteer Hub, which is located between the Borders and DSW in Downtown Silver Spring. The Volunteer Hub is where people volunteering at the festival sign-in and get assignments.
Day-of tickets for screenings are sold at a table in the lobby of the AFI Silver Theatre.
Patrons wait for tickets in a standby line for a matinee show. Movie goers sometimes have to do this, since SilverDocs screenings can sell out quickly.
A yellow school bus is used as a shuttle between the theatre's used for screenings and the SilverDocs Conference Center at Montgomery College, since they are almost 3/4 miles apart.
The AFI Theatre's unique array of refreshments help to draw in crowds during the festival.
Montgomery College's Performing Arts Center acts as the home base for the conference portion of SilverDocs. Guest speakers and Industry Experts hold panels and discuss things important to documentary filmmakers, such as ethics and film distribution.
Volunteers stand in the conference center and let people in during the Goodpitch program, one of the many events taking place during the conference portion of the festival.
Students walk through the halls Thursday after finishing their 1st and 2nd period exams. This marked the beginning of final exams for students, and testing will continue through the middle of next week.
Snows Cones were among the treats available during the Senior Barbecue Thursday. This was the last time the senior class was able to be together at the school before graduation, which will be held Friday at DAR Constitution Hall in DC.
Sophomores Sebi Medina-Tayac, Yoshi Yui and Sterling Mulbry practice for the Comedy Sketch Club. The club's first performance is June 11 in the auditorium.
The Senior Courtyard and surrounding areas were empty during 5A lunch Thursday since the seniors' last full day of school was on Wednesday.