In a season that hasn't lived up to the hopes of players and fans, the Blazers (5-17) beat Walter Johnson (7-15) on senior night to end their regular season on a two-game winning streak.
To truly understand and recognize the widespread significance of sports, you need only look at Cleveland, Ohio, deemed the "most miserable city” in America by a 2010 Reuters poll. What was once home to National Basketball Association (NBA) stardom and "King” LeBron James has now become a ghost town, a shadow of a time long ago. Yet while James left Cleveland for the beaches in Miami, along the way he had to pass through yet another sports purgatory: Washington, D.C.
The Silver Chips ombudsman is the liaison between the paper and the Blair community. In a school that boasts one of the most diverse student populations in the area, it's always tough as a newspaper to know what will provoke readers' attention. With so many different cultures, races and traditions, it's always a challenge to write stories that attract everyone.
As the wind whipped around the cold Scottish pond, two lone figures stared nervously at the ground. They whispered and checked their surroundings, making sure no one was watching them. They had been simply playing on the frozen ice when suddenly; they created one of the most dynamic and exciting games known to man.
Coming off an impressive effort against Sherwood, the Blazers (3-16) looked to continue their improved play against Rockville (6-12). Yet poor execution and a lack of energy doomed the Blazers to a 64-55 loss.
In one of their closest games of the season, boys' varsity basketball (3-15) just barely missed knocking off heavily favored Sherwood (12-5) in what would have been the upset of the year.
As they have all season, the Blazers (3-13) came out strong against the favored Colonels (15-1) but faltered late in the game, failing to pull off the upset.
Following a promising start to the season in which they showed heart and intensity, the Blazers (3-6) fell to the county heavyweight Blue Devils (8-1) in a game filled with missed opportunities.
With winter rolling around, it's time to break out the hats, scarves and puffy coats. But for those Blazers who are tired of looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (Ghostbusters, anyone?), your trusty Entertainment Team, along with a couple of extra models, has braved the malls and the magazines to bring you what we believe are the season's latest looks.
The Silver Chips ombudsman is the liaison between the paper and the Blair community. To have a successful newspaper, there needs to be a competent staff, visionary leadership and a dedicated reader base. Just as important, but often overlooked is the business end of newspaper.
After a disappointing start to the season, the Blazers (1-3) capitalized on a poor showing by Richard Montgomery (0-4) to secure their first win, and home opener of the season.
With every fallen leaf and degree drop in temperature, the weather is telling us that it's that time of season again. That season in which boys become men and proven players lead their teams to victory. It's time for football playoffs. From Montgomery County divisions to the Bowl Championship Series, teams will gear up for what they've been waiting for all year: the heralded football playoffs. Yet the road to the post season is one of intense dedication and practices, something for which not every athlete's body is prepared.
The Silver Chips ombudsman is the liaison between the paper and the Blair community. Ask around Blair, and students will tell you they want more sports and photos in Silver Chips. Many are bored by all the news stories and overload of opinion pieces. They want more comics, more fashion and more entertainment. Each cycle, the Silver Chips writers and editors struggle to strike the balance of creating a serious newspaper while also appealing to a teenage audience.
As Blazers' Facebook walls have begun filling up with a multitude of prom photos and comments, senior Kamal Ndousse's wall remains empty. No pictures of his date smiling as she fits on the $30 dollar corsage, no parents glowing with pride over their grown up boy. Instead, the pictures were replaced by memories of the "most epic" night of his life: a Local Area Network (LAN) party where he and his friends connected their computers and played video games for 28 hours straight.
When a newspaper ombudsman truly does his job, he becomes a bridge between the readers and writers, a bridge that should help improve and guide the paper. Without the input of readers' ideas and criticism, though, there's no way for that bridge of communication to exist. For the writers to cover what the readers need to know, it's imperative that the readers tell the writers what they feel is relevant. If readers are providing insight into their feelings, the writers will be able to address stories that meet the readers' news and entertainment needs. The good thing is that this communication is easy and doesn't take much time. Any student can write down his or her opinions or suggestions and send them to the editors. This small action can have a large impact on the writers and editors. Feedback is a critical piece of developing the newspaper, and without it, we cannot fulfill our title as a public forum for student expression.
Days after upsetting heavily-favored Sherwood in the first round of the playoffs, the Blazers (4-19) were unable to close out a tight game against powerhouse Richard Montgomery (20-2). Playing with the fumes and adrenaline of last week's win, Blair took the court with determination and energy.
After a disappointing season for the boys' varsity basketball team (3-18), it seemed most likely that Sherwood (9-12) would cruise over the lackluster Blazers. Yet, coming off of two straight wins, the Blazers found a newfound desire to win and a determination to play with intensity not found in their regular season performance.
After missing two weeks due to snow, the Blazers (1-18) faced a formidable Trojan team (9-9) on senior night, just one day after they fell to Northwest. After playing with effort and energy in the Northwest game, the Blazers looked as if they could turn the season around and end the season well as they headed into the playoffs.
As the Blair athlete streaks down the field, she makes a quick cut to free herself from the defender. Not expecting the move, the defender waits a second before chasing the Blazer down. However, this one-second is all the Blazer needs to get open and score the magnificent goal. Her agility could be a tribute to her talent, or could show the effect the new turf has on sports. This fall season featured some of the most exciting and fast-paced games in recent Blair history. The soccer teams had thrilling games every outing; the football team made quicker moves and ended the season with an impressive two-game winning streak. While these successes are the result of good teams, Blair's new energizing home turf may have made its own contribution to the teams.
Amid a rough losing season, the Blazers (1-13) took the court against the Springbrook Blue Devils (14-1) who are the two-time defending state champions. Coming off tough losses to Paint Branch and Boulevard rival Northwood, the Blazers hoped to remedy their poor play with new rotations, different defenses and a stronger focus on rebounding.
The Blazers (1-9) fell to a Sherwood (4-2) team that was able to overcome a first quarter deficit by capitalizing on Blair's sloppy play and bad decisions. With mistakes that were similar to those in their last home game, the Blazers missed crucial fourth quarter foul shots and experienced a lack of control at the end of the game that contributed to their nine-point loss.
After a tough holiday tournament in which they lost two games by an average of 17 points, the Blazers (1-7) looked to bounce back at home against a formidable 3-3 Wheaton team. Crucial defensive breakdowns and missed free throws affected Blair performance, as the team fell 52-48 in a highly contested game.
As legendary Redskins supporter Chief Zee screams his war chants and beats the edge of his seat, other fans look with admiration at the man who bleeds burgundy and gold. The passion of this ardent rallier is something Washington fans are used to every season. However, the Redskins have been on a rocky path recently, enduring stressors from a terrible season to a controversial Supreme Court case over the team name. The Redskins have always had trouble with critics who find their name offensive. What these critics fail to realize, though, is that "Redskins" is being used not in a derogatory manner, but rather as a mark of respect and honor.
Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) — The classic detective Sherlock Holmes is back with a bang, but this time, he's stepped out of his Baker Street home to fight giant men and cavort with beautiful women. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, features "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes, alongside Jude Law, who plays sidekick Dr. John Watson. Though the movie isn't in line with traditional Holmes portrayals of Arthur Conan Doyle's famed sleuth, Holmes's antics are sure to appeal to viewers. After all, "Nothing Escapes Him" — not even the audiences. (Dec. 25)
Coming off two home losses, the boys' varsity basketball team (0-3) stepped up their game to compete with the Paint Branch Panthers (2-1). But after playing well throughout the first three quarters, the Blazers were unable to maintain the intensity in the fourth quarter and fell to the Panthers 46-52.
Blair's boys' varsity basketball team (0-2) couldn't hold on to a first-half lead against the (1-1) Cavaliers Tuesday night, falling 60-48 and losing their second straight game. Though the Blazers had spouts of good play, the Cavaliers' hustle and intensity overpowered the often tentative Blazers.
The Blair varsity basketball team's lack of energy and power resulted in a 45-34 loss to the Clarksburg Coyotes (1-0) in their first game of the season Friday night. The Blazers (0-1) were unable to draw on their experiences from summer training and offensive holes ultimately led to a disappointing defeat.
Starting this year, elementary school students will bring home report cards with more details than a NASA operation manual. In a time when education success is determined by test scores and GPAs, MCPS has gone too far with these new report cards. Though the cards were meant to help parents, they end up not delivering the important information and establish an emphasis on grades rather than learning.
As Kelly Pelz-Butler streaks down the field, the defenders and goalie begin to perspire. As the distance to the goal shrinks before her eyes, Pelz-Butler gathers speed and composure. As she nears the goal, her soccer senses are tingling. She sees her sister and teammate Darcy Pelz-Butler fly towards the goal. Kelly makes a crisp pass to Darcy, who slides the ball easily into the net.
MCPS has implemented the new "Seven Keys to College Readiness" program this fall, aimed at increasing college preparedness in the county. The program provides students from kindergarten through 12th grade with a set of milestones for achieving scholastic success.
After breezing through their first two games of the season, the girls' varsity soccer team (2-1) came across a bump in the road with a 2-0 loss to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) Barons. After two weeks without games, Blair aimed to come out with intensity and power. But their opponents, the defending 3A state champions, proved that they could play in the big leagues once again with a solid win over the Blazers.
Director Michael Judge has generally had success with his directing projects ranging from "Office Space" to "Beevis and Butt-Head." But his latest movie "Extract," fails to capture the humor and wittiness his past movies possessed. With an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis, "Extract" was poised to be the summer's last big comedy.
After a record-breaking season last year, girls' varsity soccer stepped it up again with a quick 2-0 victory over Northwest. The glaring sun and sweltering heat were no impediment. Senior captain Imani Pierre, senior Elana Gold and sophomore goalie Lena Meyerson executed skillful maneuvers and maintained unwavering resolve, which contributed to the team's victory.