"Wait," I said to a college admissions representative over the phone. "So you are saying I'm going to pay double!?" I was met with a haughty yes and a circular explanation.
A Somali pirate attack, genocide in Darfur and instability in Pakistan - three scary thoughts. But when such events occur what should be the response by the United States government? While Congress and the President ultimately shape the final plan of action, the National Defense University (NDU) can aid in this process by creating simulations of conflicts before they occur.
Monday morning was off to a chaotic start for senior Edith Leiva. Her dog Milano had broken loose from the house and Leiva had just spent the last 10 minutes trying to rein him in. After getting control of the terrier and now a half hour late for school, a text from her sister popped up on her phone: "Go IMMEDIATELY to room 342." Leiva assumed the worst.
Downtown Silver Spring gets boring fast. With a limited number of restaurants not attached to a national franchise chain, there are few options for unique food in the burgeoning "hang-out" district. Gotten sick of Potbelly's? Tired of Chipotle? Interested in something beyond the company of Noodles? Nestled a few blocks from the pulsing heart of Silver Spring lies Thai Derm, a lovely little exotic kitchen.
This evening, 10 students from Blair will attend a dinner at the White House in a Celebration of Women's History Month hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The dinner will feature 25 distinguished female speakers from around the nation.
With only a few days until the 81st Annual Academy Awards, Mr. Oscar is busy tidying up to look his finest for Sunday night's show. Meanwhile, the rest of us gabber in grocery lines, make clamor in the classroom and raise hullabaloo in the hallways over who will take home the bronze statues. Will "Slumdog Millionaire" have the Oscar shocker its producers are praying for? Can the late Heath Ledger even win an Oscar? And exactly how curious will this case of "Benjamin Button" get?
With 2009 just around the bend, the denizens of Silver Chips Online have brought you a blend of the latest predictions that we have penned. And you ask: What fabulous fads have come to an end? Well update your status and text all your friends, you're off to read The List and find out the trends.
In a twisted turn of fate, the checkpoint horrors of the airport meet the reality of everyday commuting. It sounds like a bad movie, but it's coming to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area with no chance of going straight to DVD.
As the election draws near, polling predictions and Electoral College selections seem to bombard us nearly ever hour. To respond to these forecasts, we at Silver Chips Online have devised out own, more scientific predictions for those Blazers who are simply unsure who will win this heated contest. We have created, using only the most trusted techniques in the industry, eight key tests for the outcome of the 2008 election.
Going green is in. The new environmental friendly label has become the hot new item in American industry. From cars to meals, everyone says their product is helping create a sustainable planet. But despite all this feel-good tree-hugging, society has failed to end one of its most damaging practices.
Blamed for bringing evils, pains and diseases to mankind; heralded as the bringer of fire; and defamed as a swindler, thief and trickster - the immortal Prometheus lived a life condemned to eternal pain and retribution for his thievery and deception. He was a scammer draped in a hero's cloak much like the boards that bear his name.
The senior class of 2008 will have their graduation reception this Wednesday at the Comcast Center, located on the University of Maryland College Park campus. The reception is set to begin at 9 a.m. and is expected to end before noon, according to ESOL teacher Danyel Hartfield, who organized the event.
Knock, knock – the sound resonates throughout the house. A bewildered student picks up his crutches and hobbles out of bed to his front door. Cracking it open, he gazes out and turns pale. Seeing his killer before him, he quickly tries to slam the door, but is pushed to the ground. His attacker moves in and utters a single phrase. Junior Eliot Gold has just been killed.
Everyone has five questions that loom in the back of their head, swirling around in an abyss of wonder and confusion that they wish could just be answered. Five personalized interrogative phrases that end with a curly flip of the pen above a fat dot. Imagine for a moment that high school students could form an education around an attempt to wrap their minds around these conundrums, ultimately bringing more meaning to their education and lives outside of the classroom. This dream of seemingly utopian education is steadily becoming a reality for students who plan to attend the Ideal School next fall.
As if uniting all the flaws of thrillers past, "88 minutes" indulges the viewer with nothing more than an over-rushed, under-performed and simply miserable outing. Taking the title to heart, director Jon Avnet and writer Gary Scott Thompson have seemingly slapped together a film in as little time as possible in the hopes that nobody would notice. They take a lackadaisical approach to camera shots, fluidity and continuity that places it in the halls of movie "greats:" "The Maize: The Movie," "Sweetie Pie" and "Evil Behind You."
At around 11:30 a.m. yesterday, April 9, a gun was accidentally discharged during an alleged gun sale in a bathroom at Albert Einstein High School, according to MCPS Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Ben Moskowitz. At 1:30 p.m., the school was put into a Code Red alert for the remainder of the day; students returned to a normal school day today. Einstein Assistant Principal Elizabeth Burrell declined to comment on the situation.
A grand-mouth-zinging-tastilicious-exotic combination of flavors, Green thai curry chicken has it all. While it may be a prolonged experience in the kitchen, the soothing coconut milk and spicy pepper mixture will be well worth the wait. Cook up some rice to enjoy under the curry and you have a miraculous dish and a half. This dish will leave the buttons popping from your pants as you gobble down your plate and your neighbors'.
Coordinators of the spring musical "Beauty and the Beast" will add another performance at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. The show is being added to satisfy customers, according to Stage Crew manager John Kaluta, as "Beauty and the Beast" sold out all of three shows opening weekend.
On Monday, Blair's first semester Shakespeare by Oral Interpretation class will perform a 25-minute compilation of various Shakespearean works at the Folger Shakespeare Library as part of the library's 28th Annual Secondary School Festival. From March 4 to 13, the Folger will host Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. area middle and high schools in a Shakespeare appreciation festival honoring the English bard.
Since 1998, a silent, caring spirit has watched over Blair's gymnasium. He has seen the excitement of pep rallies, heard the roar of basketball games and witnessed the victory tears welling from cheerleaders' eyes. He watched the boys' volleyball team on its recent path to glory from 2005 to 2006 and the excitement of the boys' basketball team's clincher this year on senior night. Through tragedy and triumph he has supported and uplifted our spirits, yet few acknowledge this hero. Looking across the gym, one's eyes are immediately drawn toward the iconic Superman Blazer, blasting from the far wall, a reminder of the real superhero of Blair sports who is commemorated with the words "In memorial of Nelson H. Kobren."
Marching into the gym, 10 girls line up across the red baseline of the court, their shoes squeaking against the polished wood floor as they move into position. Their arms are tensed in a running pose and their calves bulge slightly as they teeter forward. A lone word pierces the quiet expanse – "GO!" The girls let loose, sprinting to the other side of the gym with such force and speed it seems as though they are being urged forward by some repressed desire for success.
The 50th annual Grammy Awards show is approaching and for once, people are showing some interest. With the striking Hollywood writers announcing that they will not picket the yearly music extravaganza, the Grammy Awards may be the only major awards show to fight its way onto a live telecast this year.
Coming off a stunning outdoor season last year, the Blair sprint squad had their jets cooled in the Montgomery County Invitational track meet, one of the most important indoor meets in the region. While the relay teams failed to live up to their ambitions, many personal records were set at this key meet, an excellent indicator for regional and even state finishes. "You can really run a personal best at this meet because you get up for it and know all the best runners are going to be here," said assistant coach Mike Fleming.
The administration has implemented new policies regarding semester finals in preparation for the upcoming exam week. Students are now officially allowed to go home after their first exam and the usual eight-period review day has been replaced with two full-period review days on Thursday and Friday, according to Assistant Principal Linda Wanner.
Naked strippers, cocaine and scotch on the rocks – perfect ingredients for a thrilling movie about the New York underground. This, however, is the life of American congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), the liberal Texan from the lone star state's second district who transformed the world and brought the Soviet empire to its knees.
The Students for Global Responsibility (SGR) Spectacular, a charity event featuring student and area performers, will be held on Friday, Dec. 14 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. There is a suggested $5 contribution; all proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and the St. Bernard Project to help fund rebuilding in New Orleans.
They stop suddenly, with no regard to common courtesy. They give four goodbye kisses and an extra three for good luck. They wait and they wait and they wait. They park in unauthorized areas and block parking spots. They are the worried parents of squeamish students who disembark in the University Boulevard student parking lot.
After clicking the trigger button a countless number of times and finally beating that tricky last-level, every gamer is presented with a short animated clip explaining an unsubstantial subplot that leaves a taste of dissatisfaction. Now take that same scene, stretch it out to 100 minutes, add real people, keep that same feeling of disappointment and thus the Eidos videogame inspired film fits easily into this year's wimpy winter lineup.
As a preliminary step in the accreditation process by the Commission on Secondary Schools (CSS) of the Middle States Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools, a representative from the CSS-MSA visited today to ensure that Blair is ready for reevaulation. The process, which runs on a seven-year cycle, will certify that Blair is meeting the 12 Standards for Accreditation used to judge if a school is giving students a quality education.
BLAZER FIELD, Oct. 3 – Blair's JV field hockey team decimated the Wheaton Knights on Monday night in a one-sided match. After a disheartening loss at the hands of Poolesville, Blair tested new plays and re-positioned players, which proved successful in the victory.
Wandering through war zones, disregarding dying civilians and escaping close encounters with soldiers all while filming and reporting the pure carnage is a job fit for only the most daring of reporters. In "The Hunting Party," this astounding journalism team consists of nimble cameraman Duck (Terrance Howard), and the cocky yet honest war-correspondent Simon Hunt (Richard Gere). The team leaps over dead bodies in war-torn countries from Somalia to El Salvador all while dodging bullets, rockets and negative reviews from viewers at home.
BLAZER FIELD, Sept. 24 – Blair's JV field hockey team smashed the Rockville Rams Monday, improving their record to 3-1-1. The Blazers locked horns with the Rams in a nearly scoreless first half, but after a skillful goal with one minute remaining in the half, the Blazers knocked down their opponents with constant pressure on goal.
The night before Blair's 2001 spring musical, "Guys and Dolls," technical education teacher and stage crew sponsor John Kaluta decided to leave the Blair Players forever. Sitting down to write an instructional letter to the incoming stage crew sponsor, James Distler, Kaluta attempted to ensure that he wasn't abandoning his crew to dedicate more time to sailing. After typing the last period and printing the letter, Kaluta looked down at the 14 pages sprawled across his desk and decided then that he had to write a book.
With hopes of improved student-teacher relations and more instruction time, new Montgomery Blair Principal Darryl Williams cut passing time from eight minutes to six minutes for the upcoming school year.
After the U.S. Court of Appeals denied I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's plea to avoid prison time while he worked out his next appeal, it was time for President Bush to step into action and make a decision. He was stuck. The President could pardon Libby – who was convicted of perjury in the Valerie Plame CIA leak affair – to satisfy the unanswered calls from his conservative base or leave the issue alone and allow the court's sentence for the former vice presidential aide stand in an attempt to soothe the Democratic Congress.
While students follow John Giles as he scribbles a complicated pre-calculus problem on the whiteboard, a sinister plot is being hatched across the room. He turns to explain what he has written when a "click" and "pop" resonate through the air and a small foam pellet hits him square in the chest. Giles has just been shot.
After soaring into space in 2005 with an extremely popular and mildly entertaining debut, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" slams back down to earth so hard it is nearly destroyed. Sadly this is the unintended fate of the Silver Surfer Sequel, unless of course you are still at the age where playing in the sand box can be an all-day experience.
Richard Wright, left, and LtCol Gregory Bonafede listen as final proposals are delivered.
Simulation team leaders look on as analyst Hyong Lee introduces the ensuing pandemic complications in Southeast Asia.
This paste provides both flavor and kick to the sauce in which the chicken is simmered.
This eclectic collection of ingredients creates one magical dish.
After kitchen labor, the thai flavor-infusion will be both exciting and tasty.
This paste provides both flavor and kick to the sauce the in which the chicken is simmered.
This eclectic symphony of ingredients creates one magical dish.
Freshman Janet Henkai takes the ball to the hoop during a team practice.
Blair's mission statement can be found underneath the mural of Montgomery Blair.
Junior co-captain Neva Bowers quickly maneuvers the ball around two Knights as she goes on the attack.
Blazers sprint down the field as Blair defeats the Rockville Rams 3-0.