Alison Kronstadt


Name: Alison Kronstadt
Position: Online Opinions Editor
Graduation Year: 2012
Alison Kronstadt is happiest when she's making you laugh, so tell her her stories are funny or she'll cry. She has a lot of opinions and hopes you like to read them. She wrote her first bio when she was an awkward little junior and then decided to change it because she's a senior now, but knows if she comes back and reads this a year from now she'll marvel at how awkward she was. There doesn't seem to be any escaping it.


Stories (51)


Silver Spring Transit Center suffers another round of delays

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 21, 2012, 1:22 p.m. | In Local »

The Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center, originally slated to open in Oct. 2011, has been delayed again due to problems with the structure's floor thickness.

Ice Hockey dominates Bengals

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 11, 2012, 7:48 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair ice hockey team (8-3) defeated the Blake Bengals (0-10) 5-0, in a game marked by some inconsistent playing and a less than desirable amount of teamwork from the Blazers. It was Blair's last regular season game, and junior goalie Michel Devynck's third shutout in four games.

Full-court Press

By Alison Kronstadt, Eli Schwadron | Feb. 6, 2012, 11:27 p.m. | In Humor »

The Silver Chips Online staff defeated the Silver Chips Print staff in basketball on Friday afternoo—wait, what?

International News Roundup for Dec. 9 – Dec. 23

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 28, 2011, 1:04 p.m. | In International »

The month's biggest international stories: the bombings in Damascus, the violent aftermath of the Congo elections, Kim Jong Il's death and the Brazilian oil spill.

County officials propose new bikeshare stations

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 25, 2011, 9:40 p.m. | In Local »

Officials in the Montgomery County Department of Transportation discussed the proposed addition of 50 new bikeshare stations along the Metro's Red Line.

Open minds, open ears

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 16, 2011, 10:16 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

When fliers for Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (P. Fox) were passed out during advisory last week, the outrage was immediate and widespread. What we should take away most from this is the discussion, and the importance of it.

Party like it's 1492

By Alison Kronstadt | Oct. 11, 2011, 10:26 p.m. | In Humor »

This intrepid reporter has traveled all over the Internet to bring you the best ways to make Columbus Day special – or at least very, very interesting.

Apply yourself

By Alison Kronstadt | Sept. 23, 2011, 1:56 p.m. | In Humor »

Your academic experts here at SCO have been whining – I mean brainstorming – about how to improve the college application process and we have the answer: welcome to the application for SCOllege.

A life worth laughing about

By Alison Kronstadt | July 15, 2011, midnight | In Entertainment »

We decided that we needed to take a serious break to honor a monumental loss to the wizarding world's sense of humor: the death of Fred Weasley.

DisSATisfied

By Alison Kronstadt | June 15, 2011, 10:12 p.m. | In Connections Blog »

When Blair administered the SAT on June 4, students were not prepared to start the test an hour and a half late.

Blazers without borders

By Alison Kronstadt | June 2, 2011, 1:03 p.m. | In Features »

Summer comes with a great mystery – what are our teachers doing right now? Students may theoretically know that teachers have lives outside of school, but it's still difficult to picture teachers at the beach or watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. Yet as the years go by and students begin to realize that teachers are actually people, the concept becomes more and more intriguing. What do they do? This year, a group of Blazers know exactly what their teachers will be doing for at least part of the summer. Why? Because they're going with them, traveling to new countries – this year it's Eastern and Western Europe – and bringing new memories back home.

Blair names new principal

By Alison Kronstadt | May 29, 2011, 12:14 p.m. | In News »

On May 23, a panel comprised of cluster superintendent Bronda Mills, parents, teachers, students and administrators selected current Takoma Park Middle School principal Renay Johnson to be Blair's next principal.

The aftermath

By Alison Kronstadt | May 24, 2011, 1:32 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Osama bin Laden is dead – unless the conspiracy theorists are right for the first time. But to those who were celebrating in the streets, this is more or less the only fact that matters: for the people from Pakistan, the terrorist's death may be only the beginning. Bin Laden's death prompted a newly introduced bill that proposes ending all American aid to Pakistan, which could have catastrophic results for the already problematic relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.

Make it or break it

By Alison Kronstadt | May 6, 2011, 1:21 p.m. | In Connections Blog »

Students become progressively more restless as the calendar ticks down to winter or spring break, and we daydream endlessly about all the time we can spend in the non-academic world…

Seniors win National Merit Scholarship

By Alison Kronstadt | May 3, 2011, 11:26 p.m. | In Local »

Out of a pool of approximately 1.5 million PSAT takers, there were 8,400 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists. Of those semi-finalists, seniors Tommy Zhang and Shilpa Kannan received $4,000 and $6,000 respectively from science companies.

Gaithersburg gets narrow win over coed volleyball

By Alison Kronstadt | April 12, 2011, 4:23 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair coed volleyball team (2-7) lost a hard-fought game against the Gaithersburg Trojans (9-1) Monday night.

The blame game

By Alison Kronstadt | April 12, 2011, 11:05 a.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

For a long time, swooning preteen girls said Chris Brown's name in dreamy tones. His voice, his looks, his dancing… the man could do no wrong. Then, everything changed.

Proceed with caution

By Alison Kronstadt | April 7, 2011, 1:04 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

When the damage from the tsunami spread to several of Japan's nuclear reactors, the issues raised sent ripples across the world. All the debate boils down to a simple question: is nuclear power worth the risk?

Don't pity these fools

By Alison Kronstadt | March 31, 2011, 12:11 p.m. | In Humor »

Being funny is hard, as anyone who's had a joke go south can tell you (the memory will stay with you until you die. Maybe after.) You readers have it easy.

"It's Academic" hosts countywide tournament

By Alison Kronstadt | March 22, 2011, 11:18 p.m. | In Local »

Blair's "It's Academic" quiz bowl team hosted its first tournament in 10 years this past Saturday. Twelve teams competed in the tournament, though Blair did not compete.

Not so big or bad

By Alison Kronstadt | March 14, 2011, 3:24 p.m. | In Movies »

Catherine Hardwicke's "Red Riding Hood" is – and there's only one word for it – confused. Any potential the movie had was squandered on a lurching, awkward script. The acting suffers even more as a result and the film's only redeeming points are gorgeous scenery and some bursts of talent.

Urban DictSCOnary

By Alison Kronstadt, Eli Schwadron | March 7, 2011, 1:47 p.m. | In Humor »

There's tons of slang being tossed around Blair nowadays, but we've picked out the best of the best to get you #hip.

Girls' basketball loses playoff against Warriors

By Alison Kronstadt | March 1, 2011, 12:34 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair girls' basketball team (13-10) lost to the Sherwood Warriors (12-11) by a score of 28-35 in a hard-fought game, ending a season marked by injuries.

Blair ice hockey loses play-off

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 27, 2011, 12:16 p.m. | In Blair »

Having made it farther in the playoffs than in any other season, the Blair ice hockey team (10-5-1) was eliminated by the Washington County North Stars (15-1-2) in a game that ended 5-2.

Blair ice hockey trounces Tigers in first playoff game

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 19, 2011, 12:54 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair ice hockey team (10-3-1) solidly beat the D.C. Tigers (8-8-1) by a score of 7-2 in the first playoff game of the season.

Valentine's Day Playlist: Not brought to you by Hallmark

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 14, 2011, 8:37 p.m. | In Music »

Let's face it, Valentine's Day has gotten pretty materialistic. Love is often measured by how expensive the gift is. For the single ladies or otherwise it's all about drowning yourself in ice cream and watching cheesy movies, but this writer has decided that there needs to be more to the holiday.

Blazers conquer Lightning on Senior Night

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 12, 2011, 11:14 a.m. | In Blair »

The Blair ice hockey team (9-3-1) defeated the Long Reach Lightning (7-4-0) by a score of 5-3 in an electrifying game marked by a high number of penalties, solid offense and back-and-forth goal scoring. Since it was Blair's last regular season game, the team recognized its two graduating seniors: assistant captain and defenseman Peirce Marston and defenseman Ben Kaufman.

Blazers demolish Damascus

By Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 8, 2011, 9:28 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair ice hockey team (8-3-1) solidly beat the Damascus Hornets (4-6-1) by a score of 6-3. With the win, Blair secured a spot in the playoffs.

The best (and worst) 2011 Super Bowl commercials

By Liv Jacobson, Alison Kronstadt | Feb. 7, 2011, 11:17 p.m. | In Television »

There were a few redeeming ads among the rabble, and some others that just made us scratch our heads. Congratulations on the victory, Green Bay, but let the real battle begin.

Blair ice hockey ties Wildcats

By Alison Kronstadt | Jan. 26, 2011, 5:35 p.m. | In Blair »

On Monday, Blair's ice hockey team (5-3-1) took on the Walter Johnson Wildcats (4-1-2). Although Blair played strongly in areas such as defense, a sense of lethargy kept the team from reaching its full potential.

Board of Education holds hearings on proposed 2012 budget

By Alison Kronstadt | Jan. 20, 2011, 10:51 p.m. | In Local »

The Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) Board of Education (BOE) held two open hearings about the proposed 2012 education budget for MCPS on Jan. 12 and 19 at the Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville. T

Poms squad places second at first competition of season

By Alison Kronstadt | Jan. 11, 2011, 12:08 p.m. | In Blair »

The Montgomery Blair High School poms squad placed second in their first competition of the season, held at Richard Montgomery High School on Jan. 8.

Musical madness

By Alison Kronstadt | Jan. 1, 2011, 8:57 p.m. | In Humor »

The musical community is all abuzz about (read: most of you probably haven't heard of) the new Spider-Man musical, especially after all of the controversy surrounding the apparently dangerous production.

Takoma Park alcohol bill moves to General Assembly

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 18, 2010, 7:02 p.m. | In Local »

Mayor of Takoma Park Bruce Williams, backed by the Takoma Park City Council, submitted bill MC6-11 before the Maryland state legislature.

Acronym attack

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 14, 2010, 1:04 a.m. | In Connections Blog »

This blog is about standardized tests. Now for those of you that haven't instantly clicked away from this page, take deep breaths.

Ice hockey thrashes Barons

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 9, 2010, 12:35 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair ice hockey (3-2) dominated the B-CC Barons (0-2-1) by a score of 8-1 in a highly physical game that culminated in the one-game suspension of Blair's captain and a B-CC player.

Let fWEEDom ring

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 2, 2010, 10:11 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Last year, around 15,000 Americans were arrested for murder. About 800,000 were arrested for car theft. Some 88,000 were arrested for rape. And approximately 750,000 were arrested for the possession of a plant.

Blair ice hockey upsets Sherwood

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 30, 2010, 11:58 a.m. | In Blair »

The Blazers (2-2) beat the Sherwood Arrows, by a score of 7-1 in an exciting game. Although Sherwood came in with a 2-0 record, the Blazers controlled the game early.

Wootton wins big over Blair ice hockey

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 23, 2010, 9:26 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair ice hockey team (1-2) lost to the Wootton Patriots (1-0) by a score of 11-2 in an exhausting game that was closer than the scoreboard made it seem.

Nothing short of magical

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 21, 2010, 8:48 p.m. | In Movies »

With a supremely talented group of actors carrying forward J.K. Rowling's amazing story, the latest installment to the Harry Potter franchise is unforgettable.

Silver Spring Transit Center to open January 2012

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 17, 2010, 10:14 p.m. | In Local »

The Montgomery County Department of General Services delayed the opening of the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center from October 2011 to January 2012.

Whitman defeats ice hockey in first home game

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 16, 2010, noon | In Blair »

Whatever challenges the Blair ice hockey team (1-1) faced in its 6-2 loss against the Whitman Vikings (2-0), lack of spirit was not one of them.

Creativity that you can Google

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 12, 2010, 12:16 p.m. | In Features »

Businessman. The word conveys a clear image: suits and ties, meetings, Blackberries, and above all, adults. Yet, as a growing group of Blazers show, businessman can also mean a sophomore in a plaid shirt making a YouTube video about his product—as long as you understand how hard you need to work.

Game on... and on and on

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 3, 2010, 11:22 p.m. | In Sports Blog »

This year, the World Series spilled over into November, an event that is not startling on its own but is emblematic of a greater problem in sports.

8407: More than just the numbers

By Alison Kronstadt | Oct. 20, 2010, 7:44 p.m. | In Restaurant Reviews »

8407 isn't geared towards high schoolers, but don't let that stop you. The restaurant ultimately delivers what any person looks for in a dining experience, regardless of age: good food.

"A Thousand Suns" fizzles out

By Alison Kronstadt | Sept. 19, 2010, 9:07 p.m. | In Music »

Musical experimentation can be good. Musical experimentation can bring a band greater fame, reach new audiences and sell more records. Simultaneously, extreme musical experimentation can break a band, especially one with a well-established fan base. Linkin Park's fifth album is almost completely different from anything Linkin Park has ever done. The outfit's risky "musical experimentation" alienates both old fans and prospective new ones, with overwrought lyrics, jarring failed attempts at artistry, and a disappointing lack of continuity and sense.

Enough is enough

By Alison Kronstadt | Sept. 16, 2010, 11:12 a.m. | In News Blog »

When Florida pastor Terry Jones announced plans to hold an International Burn a Koran Day on the ninth anniversary of September 11 the world flew into an uproar.

Software malfunction prompts Blair's schedule changes

By Alison Kronstadt | Sept. 7, 2010, 8:58 p.m. | In Local »

At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, periods 5A and 5B were renamed periods 5 and 6 respectively and period 8 was renamed period 9.

Life vs. Life

By Alison Kronstadt | Aug. 31, 2010, 8:42 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

On Tuesday, Aug. 24, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth struck down a presidential order and sent the scientific community reeling. President Obama's law reversed a ban on stem cell research that former president George W. Bush passed in 2001.

MCPS superintendent announces his retirement

By Alison Kronstadt | Aug. 29, 2010, 10:31 p.m. | In Local »

In a statement released on Aug. 24, Dr. Jerry Weast announced that he will retire from his 12-year tenure as the MCPS superintendent.

"Twilight" women need to bite back

By Alison Kronstadt | Aug. 19, 2010, 2:54 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

A boy and a girl meet in high school and fall in love. During their relationship, he repeatedly sneaks into her room, forbids her from seeing people she is close to and pressures her into everything from prom to marriage.