Stephen Wertheim


Name: Stephen Wertheim
Position: Page Editor
Graduation Year: 2003
Co-editor-in-chief Stephen Wertheim is deeply committed to reporting, even when it conflicts with such essential life activities as food consumption, sleep and viewership of Seinfeld reruns. In addition to getting carried away with writing and playing violin, Stephen thoroughly enjoys visiting and photographing spots around the country, though his perception of the northeast was scarred at an early age when he fell down in the Rockefeller Center ice rink and was bitten brutally by penguins. Following his smashing theatrical success, "Bacterium & the Bride" (dubbed from French to English and back to French again), Stephen is currently drafting a second motion picture, this one about a cunning death row inmate who orders Chinese for his last meal and stretches out the leftovers over several weeks, delaying his execution. Among Stephen's unanswered questions are whether there is an afterlife and how Wal-Mart comes up with a price of $39.56 for an electric skillet. Stephen's future may contain careers in journalism or government, or he may scrap those ideas entirely and move to Wheaton to play duckpin bowling for an indefinite period of time.


Stories (30)


New district boundary proposals draw criticism

By Stephen Wertheim | April 10, 2003, midnight | In Print »

"They all stink" is how PTSA co-president Marilyn Shoenfeld characterizes five new plans for high school district boundaries in the Downcounty Consortium, slated to begin in fall 2004.

Letter to the Black and White

By Jessica Stamler, Stephen Wertheim | March 14, 2003, midnight | In Print »

Non-gang graffiti increases

By Stephen Wertheim | March 13, 2003, midnight | In Print »

An increase in graffiti at Blair and in the surrounding community since late last year has Principal Phillip Gainous worried, but not about gangs. His concern centers on the non-gang-involved students whose actions—from leaving lunch strewn on the floor to spray-painting bathroom walls—reflect a fundamental lack of respect for their school, he said.

A bad case of the everything

By Stephen Wertheim | Feb. 13, 2003, midnight | In Print »

I'm perfectly healthy, going to the doctor's for a routine check-up. The nurse looks at me:"Oh, I don't like the way you filled out those insurance forms. We better give you a shot.""For what disease?""It doesn't matter, I don't know; shut up and roll up your sleeves."

MCPS should lose the spin and face the facts

By Stephen Wertheim | Feb. 13, 2003, midnight | In Print »

Upon announcing the county's latest SAT performance, MCPS cannot help but gloat. Montgomery's results are "the highest in Maryland," brags an Aug 27 press release. A "record-setting" participation rate is outshined only by "highest-ever" math scores.But the facts, minus MCPS' thick layer of sugarcoating, reveal an appalling problem.

Nonwaiting nonsmokers

By Stephen Wertheim | Jan. 6, 2003, midnight | In Print »

I went into a restaurant the other day. There was a wait for a nonsmoking table. Naturally, I asked, "Do you have anything in smoking?" They did. And I'm thinking about the choice I've made. Which is this: "Forget the risk of my hastened demise, I'm kind of hungry. My slight hunger far outweighs my aversion to this fuming death camp, which I nevertheless could avoid by waiting five minutes, which I refuse to do."

The beach vacation

By Stephen Wertheim | Jan. 4, 2003, midnight | In Print »

Every year when I was young, my family would take the obligatory beach vacation. I remember the drive to the beach taking longer and longer as a result of my parents taking more and more stops to the bathroom. When we started, the drive took two hours. Six years later, same traffic, same car, same driver—five hours. I can explain this phenomenon with the simple rule: For every candle on the cake, that's one more bathroom break.

Deficit may cause budget cuts

By Jared Sagoff, Stephen Wertheim | Dec. 19, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Superintendent Jerry Weast unveiled his budget for next year at Blair on Dec 12 amid fears that a budget shortfall could necessitate a reduction in funding for Blair's Magnet program among other substantial cutbacks.

BOE expenses questioned

By Stephen Wertheim | Dec. 19, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Two members of the Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) spent MCPS money for meals they did not document as Board-related, according to a former BOE Citizens Budget Review subcommittee chairman, who called on the seven-member Board to use expense forms as cited in the BOE Operations Handbook.

Prison meals

By Stephen Wertheim | Dec. 15, 2002, midnight | In Print »

The key question I've long pondered is this: Are criminals careful to use proper manners during prison meals? You've already killed someone, violating society's biggest rule, so I assume you just abandon all the smaller ones. I don't know; that's why I've been pondering it. I'm sure I'm completely wrong. I'm sure they all sit down for supper:

Weast unveils budget proposal

By Jared Sagoff, Stephen Wertheim | Dec. 13, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Superintendent Jerry Weast unveiled his budget for next year at Blair on Dec 12 amid fears that a budget shortfall could necessitate a reduction in funding for Blair's Magnet program among other significant cutbacks.

Gang crackdown

By Stephen Wertheim | Nov. 8, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Blair's administration distributed photographs of gang graffiti to teachers in early October and asked them to be "on the lookout” for similar symbols drawn on students' papers and belongings, according to Principal Phillip Gainous, who said gang activity in Blair remains prevalent after reemerging last year.

Call me anytime you want

By Stephen Wertheim | Nov. 8, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Dinnertime the other night, I'm eating, the phone rings. I arise in mid-spaghetti-slurp, disrupting my valuable family time, if "valuable family time" is defined as my parents steadily talking and me steadily turning up the volume to The Simpsons. I pick up, and who could it be on the other end but a telemarketer from the phone company. A telemarketer. Let me tell you what I think of telemarketers.I love them.

Blair to introduce academies

By Stephen Wertheim | Oct. 4, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Blair will establish five career academies designed to provide "extra direction and focus” to all incoming classes beginning with current freshmen, according to Academy Coordinator Susan Ragan. But the plan, to phase in over the next two years with the Downcounty Consortium, comes amid concerns that academies will fail to relieve Blair's overcrowding.

Driving is driving me mad

By Stephen Wertheim | Oct. 4, 2002, midnight | In Print »

At long last, I have procured my driver's license. This came as somewhat of a surprise to me given my adherence to the three-step method of parallel parking, in which I hit the car to my rear, smash the van to my front and speed off searching for another space.

Editor's response

By Stephen Wertheim | Oct. 4, 2002, midnight | In Print »

When the CAP and Magnet programs began several years ago, we found reporters were interviewing a disproportionate number of CAP and Magnet students. Therefore, we placed a 25 percent quota of CAP and Magnet sources in most stories, proportional to Blair's population. Our policy keeps such students represented accurately. In this issue, for example, approximately 20 percent of sources are in CAP or Magnet; we have neither overused nor overlooked segments of Blair's diverse population.

Time to defrost

By Stephen Wertheim | May 23, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Take heart—we still have Wal-Mart

By Stephen Wertheim | May 23, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Trivial transfers crowd Blair halls

By Stephen Wertheim | April 25, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Beating down the door

By Stephen Wertheim, Jenny Alyono | April 25, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Coma victim now recovering

By Jessica Stamler, Stephen Wertheim | April 25, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Just a bunch of kung-fuey

By Stephen Wertheim | March 14, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Comatose after collision

By Jessica Stamler, Stephen Wertheim | March 14, 2002, midnight | In Print »

County tightens community service hour requirements

By Jessica Stamler, Stephen Wertheim | March 14, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Gainous considers extending school day

By Stephen Wertheim | Feb. 14, 2002, midnight | In Print »

Blair may eventually adopt an extended school day in which the school would remain open for about 14 hours and students could choose which hours they attend, according to Principal Phillip Gainous. Movement toward the extended day is "likely," said Gainous, to begin next year with a school day lengthened by one period and with regular instructional classes offered on Saturdays and during the summer.

Wartime calls for sacrifices

By Stephen Wertheim | Dec. 4, 2001, midnight | In Print »

The patriotism of criticism

By Stephen Wertheim | Nov. 16, 2001, midnight | In Print »

The flags dotting Blazer backpacks typify most Americans' warranted response of united patriotism to the Sept 11 tragedies. But now, as bombs strike Afghanistan and as the possibility looms of attacking additional nations, overwhelming solidarity must not expand into a climate in which citizens, politicians and the media are afraid to question the government and argue against its policies. Service to this free country is best performed by open and unapologetic debate, not unbridled nationalism.

Record Homecoming

By Stephen Wertheim | Nov. 16, 2001, midnight | In Print »

On to 1600!

By Stephen Wertheim | Oct. 11, 2001, midnight | In Print »

High hopes for Blair’s new in-school SAT prep course

By Stephen Wertheim | Oct. 11, 2001, midnight | In Print »