Poorva Singal


Name: Poorva Singal
Position: Online News Editor and Op/Ed Editor
Graduation Year: 2008


Stories (23)


After Prom fundraiser to be held at Barnes & Noble this Saturday

By Poorva Singal | Dec. 11, 2007, midnight | In Local »

A fundraiser for After Prom will be held at the Bethesda Barnes & Noble on Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. The school will receive a net percent of sales made to people who mention Blair at the cash register. The event, the third fundraiser for After Prom this year, according to After Prom coordinator Kate Cook, will feature display tables and performances by various Blair groups.

Winning the lottery to "heaven"

By Poorva Singal | Nov. 20, 2007, midnight | In International »

She was going to a world where there was said to be a pile of gold at every corner and a stash of money at every turn. She had heard rumors that the place was not much short of heaven. But that fantasy disappeared as soon as she got off the plane and took her first steps in the United States. America is nothing like what others in Ethiopia described it to be for junior Engidawork Kita.

County begins phasing in High School Plus

By Poorva Singal | Sept. 25, 2007, midnight | In Local »

Blair held its orientation for High School Plus on Sept. 11 in the auditorium, according to James Short, head of the program at Blair. High School Plus is an extended-hours program that lets students recover credits at their home schools for classes they may have failed. Though only offered to students in Grades 9 and 10 this year, it will replace Evening High School completely in two years.

Thurman, Candace

By Poorva Singal | June 24, 2007, midnight | In Teacher Feature »

By seventh grade, she and her mom had decided. She was not going to be anybody's secretary. She was not going to be a waitress. And she was definitely not going to be a teacher. Yet Candace Thurman is currently finishing up her third year teaching at Blair after having taught for 23 years at Walter Johnson.

Last After Prom planning yesterday

By David Jia, Poorva Singal | May 25, 2007, midnight | In Local »

The After Prom committee met today in the media center to work on decorations for the beach themed celebration. And while there was a plethora of brightly-colored construction paper and other assorted decorations, there was a shortage of something perhaps more essential: volunteers.

First HSA and senior exam review day tomorrow

By David Jia, Poorva Singal | May 17, 2007, midnight | In Local »

The administration announced yesterday that tomorrow will be a review day for the upcoming High School Assessments (HSAs) and senior exams.

For these athletes, the board is their field

By Poorva Singal | May 11, 2007, midnight | In Features »

Senior Max Lockwood doesn't need a large field or a court to play his sport. Nor does he need to run a few laps to warm up. All he needs is a cup, a three by six foot felt mat, a table to put the mat on, some small colored disks called winks and a shooter disk called a squidger for his choice sport: tiddlywinks.

International Night and SGR Spectacular to be held tonight

By Poorva Singal | April 27, 2007, midnight | In Local »

Blair's International Night and SGR Spectacular will be held tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the SAC. It will be the first time International club and SGR have collaborated together to put the two shows into one night.

After Prom fundraiser to be held tomorrow at Jerry's in Four Corners

By David Jia, Poorva Singal | March 19, 2007, midnight | In Local »

Blair's After Prom Committee is holding a fundraiser with Jerry's Subs and Pizza in Four Corners tomorrow, March 20. Jerry's manager John Distler will donate 15 percent of the sales made between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to help with After Prom funding.

HSA graduation requirements for Special Education and ESOL students expected to be delayed

By Poorva Singal | March 15, 2007, midnight | In Local »

Maryland School Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick suggested a two year delay for the High School Assessment (HSA) requirements for Special Education students and English language learners at a Board of Education meeting March 1. She plans to formalize the delay in August after reviewing data from the next administration of the tests in May.

Pro/Con: Should Blair be required to implement OARS?

By Miriam Ragen, Poorva Singal | March 3, 2007, midnight | In Op/Ed »

Blair is one of only a few high schools in the county that has yet to implement the Online Achievement and Reporting System (OARS). In the 2007-2008 school year, MCPS will require the use of this program in all secondary schools.

BNC plans Semester Shakedown

By Poorva Singal | Feb. 24, 2007, midnight | In Local »

The BNC Semester Shakedown is scheduled for Friday, March 9, from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Blair. A Downcounty mixer, the dance is open to all Montgomery County high school students with school IDs. Students may purchase tickets for $4 starting about a week and a half before the dance outside of the SAC. Tickets will be sold for $8 at the door.

MORE reaches out to Piney Branch Elementary 4th graders

By Poorva Singal | Feb. 21, 2007, midnight | In Local »

Blair's Minority Outreach for Excellence (MORE) organization held its first two after school sessions helping 4th graders on their science projects at Piney Branch Elementary School on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. MORE members plan on continuing these weekly sessions from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to assist Piney Branch students with their projects for a science fair to be held on May 23 at the school.

The best of Bollywood entertainment!

By Priyanka Gokhale, Poorva Singal, Rachita Sood | Jan. 23, 2007, midnight | In Features »

It's the largest film industry in the world. It starts with a "B," (as in Bombay), and rhymes with Hollywood. Just in case you still don't get it, we're talking about Bollywood – the Indian film industry that produces around a 1000 movies a year, twice that of Hollywood.

Glitch in electronic grade book crashes system on grade day

By Poorva Singal | Nov. 20, 2006, midnight | In Local »

The new computerized grade book, Pinnacle, failed to work properly as middle and high school teachers from across the county tried to enter the final grades for the marking period on grade day. The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) was told that the failure was due to the crash of one of the two Pinnacle servers, according to MCEA Executive Director Tom Israel.

Blazer to speak at Fifth Annual Celebrate Our Rising Stars Summit

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 31, 2006, midnight | In Local »

Senior Abhishek Sinha will be one of three students to represent high school English Language Learners (ELLs) at the Fifth Annual Celebrate Our Rising Stars Summit that will be held tomorrow in Washington, D.C. A former ESOL student and an ELL himself, Sinha will share his views on what it is like to be an ELL and hopes to especially address the difficulties these students face with standardized testing.

Festival of lights brightens up the fairgrounds

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 20, 2006, midnight | In Features »

Freshman Ruhi Vasavada stands in a small tent crowded by performers, dressed in a long skirt decorated with mirrors, a matching blouse and a sash draped over her head. This performance signifies her fourth year performing for Diwali Mela, a fair to celebrate the Diwali festival. And in front of her are hundreds of people, waiting eagerly for the many festivities to come.

Old problems disappear along with bathroom doors

By Poorva Singal | Sept. 19, 2006, midnight | In Local »

The decision to remove the first floor bathroom doors has helped eliminate vandalism problems such as graffiti and tearing down and clogging fixtures. Business manager Jim Funk, who made the decision, said that vandalism disappeared immediately since the removal of the doors last spring.

A policy headed for disaster

By Poorva Singal | Sept. 16, 2006, midnight | In Op/Ed »

After last spring's test administration of the High School Assessments (HSA) for Algebra, Biology, Government and English, the U.S. Department of Education made the decision to allow Advanced Placement tests to be used as a substitute for the HSA so students would not have to be burdened with so much test taking for graduation. One flaw, however, mars the plan: students do not find out the results of their AP exams until after they would typically take the HSA in May.

A super "Hollywoodland"

By Poorva Singal | Sept. 14, 2006, midnight | In Movies »

He was faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, but the actor now lies dead on the floor. The Man of Steel, every child's favorite superhero, is no more. It is ruled a suicide, but could the invincible Superman really take his own life? Some are not so sure. Allen Coulter's 'Hollywoodland,' inspired by the real-life mystery behind the death of "Superman" TV star George Reeves (Ben Affleck), keeps viewers absorbed as they attempt to form their own conclusions about what really happened 50 years ago.

Italy has never felt so close to home

By Poorva Singal | Aug. 31, 2006, midnight | In Restaurant Reviews »

A first glance at the dinner menu does not seem too welcoming for a vegetarian. But don't be fooled; the few veggie-friendly choices are quite appetizing and authentic. This small Italian cuisine located in Bethesda offers deliciously cooked food that will leave you wanting to come back for more.

Chai – Spiced Milk Tea

By Poorva Singal | Aug. 8, 2006, midnight | In Drinks »

Tea is known as chai in varying parts of the world. Signifying milk tea in India, chai is a popular beverage amongst many people of the nation. This recipe uses a just a couple of spices to give a wonderful flavor that is soothing and hard to resist.

The National Zoo throws birthday party for its black and white celebrity

By Poorva Singal | July 12, 2006, midnight | In Local »

Tai Shan, the National Zoo's adored giant panda cub, turned 1 with a party on Sunday. Thousands of fans came to celebrate as the Zoo continued its efforts to educate the public about this endangered species.



Images (11)


Photo: Ethiopian Dance

By Poorva Singal | April 27, 2007, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Edline Obsession

By Poorva Singal | March 3, 2007, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Semester Shakedown Poster

By Poorva Singal | Feb. 26, 2007, midnight | In ‎Latest »

All high school students with MCPS IDs are invited to attend the BNC Semester Shakedown on March 9.

Photo: SW-Twinday

By Poorva Singal | Feb. 23, 2007, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Juniors Russell King and Alex Demarais show off their matching outfits for twin day. While the two boys wear their own jeans and shoes, both of the jackets, the two pairs of shirts and the pair of hats belong to Demarais. He started getting excited and planning for twin day about a month ago when he bought the two identical jackets.

Photo: Diwali lights

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 20, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

As the finale of the Diwali Mela, the "Happy Diwali" sign is lit.

Photo: Mela dance

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 20, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Mela fireworks

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 20, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Fireworks at the Diwali Mela fair in Washington, D.C.

Photo: SG-Who?

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 8, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Expelled!

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 5, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: ID Paranoia

By Poorva Singal | Oct. 3, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Hurricane Katrina's One Year Anniversary

By Poorva Singal | Sept. 10, 2006, midnight | In ‎Latest »