Sebastian Medina-Tayac

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Stories (14)

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Girls' varsity softball destroys in spring break double-header

By Marjorie Fuchs, Sebastian Medina-Tayac | April 2, 2012, 5:58 p.m. | In Blair »

Undefeated girls' varsity softball (6-0) beat both Quince Orchard (5-1) and Walter Johnson (0-6) in a thrilling double-header Monday. The team dominated the scoreboard through both games, just two hours apart, with an aggressive offense and solid infield playing.

Federal law will eliminate Takoma Park's immigrant sanctuary laws

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac, Maureen Lei | Nov. 10, 2011, 9:58 a.m. | In Print News »

Takoma Park's sanctuary laws protecting the identities of undocumented criminals from the federal government will be overridden by a new federal policy, Safe Communities, which allows the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to gather data on undocumented immigrants from municipal police records.

Life on the Median

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Sept. 20, 2011, 3:17 p.m. | In Print Features »

They come earlier and stay later than any student. They work weekends and summers. While we sit in our climate-controlled school, building our futures, they stand in the heat or cold, begging to maintain their present. Just across the intersection of Colesville Road and University Boulevard, the "panhandlers" pace sidewalks and medians for hours every day, holding cardboard signs and jingling coins in plastic cups. Many different panhandlers visit the intersection, but some "regulars" have been coming to Four Corners for decades. The intersection and small commercial center surrounding Blair attracts many panhandlers, often five in a day.

Churchill defeats coed volleyball in season's last game

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | May 4, 2011, 1:04 a.m. | In Blair »

Coed volleyball's rocky but eventful and transformative season officially ended Monday night following a momentous comeback in the fourth and final set.

Coed volleyball secures first season win

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | April 6, 2011, 1:23 p.m. | In Blair »

The coed volleyball team won their first game of the season against the Wheaton Knights in four sets.

Poolesville defeats co-ed volleyball

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | March 26, 2011, 5:06 p.m. | In Blair »

Coed volleyball's loss to county powerhouse Poolesville was more encouraging than disappointing to the team. After losing their first two sets to the Falcons by scores of 25-8 and 25-10, the new team brought out their "fire" halfway through the third set to bring the last, suspense-filled set to a score of 25-23.

Gladiators slay coed volleyball

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | March 22, 2011, 1:40 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair's varsity coed volleyball team suffered a dramatic loss to boulevard rival Northwood in its highly anticipated first home game of the season.

Maintenance of Effort promotes maintenance of mediocrity

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | March 10, 2011, 11:52 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

The I.D. policy, blue Pepsi, Nickelback: Good intentions do not always produce good results. On the contrary, misguided or irrelevant decisions can harm the very people they were meant to serve.

SGR testifies against GT label

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | March 1, 2011, 11:56 p.m. | In Local »

On behalf of Blair's Students for Global Responsibility (SGR), SGR president senior Kirstyn Ross gave a testimony at a public Board of Education (BOE) meeting in Rockville yesterday against Montgomery Count Public Schools' (MCPS) practice of tracking students using the Gifted and Talented (GT) program label. Ross gave a two-minute anecdotal testimony to the BOE directly, including President Christopher Barclay and Superintendent Jerry Weast.

The knights next door

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:29 a.m. | In Print Features »

This is a battle like no other. Javelins soar over the slowly setting sun. Swords bash past shields and fell enemies. Shouted orders, the scratching of feet on dry grass, and muffled thuds permeate the ambient hum of the Interstate. Eventually, an armistice is called. "Five minute water break, guys!" shouts one. Weapons made of Plexiglas, foam and tube socks hit the ground. The fighters sit in a circle and take turns proposing new drill ideas, joking and laughing. This is Dagorhir.

MCPS pilots corollary sports teams

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Dec. 16, 2010, 2:45 p.m. | In Print News »

This year's inaugural corollary bocce ball team will begin its first season on Dec. 13, coached by science teacher and soccer and basketball coach, John Haigh. Blair's newest team, along with six other county high school teams, is part of an MCPS athletics program to bring in students not usually involved in athletics, including those with disabilities.

Sixteen going off seventeen

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac, Helen Bowers | Nov. 11, 2010, 12:17 p.m. | In ‎Latest »

Four days. Three challenges. Two Blazers. Two magazines. One mortifying, scandalous, flirty, awkward, stylish, tedious, allergenic competition. For one week, we wore uncomfortable clothes, put ourselves in uncomfortable situations and made complete fools of ourselves. "Why?" you may ask; because apparently it's "in." Inspired by the popular blog the Seventeen Magazine Project, in which blogger Jamie Keiles lived by the "gospel" of the magazine for a month, Chips staffers Helen and Sebi religiously immersed themselves in the lifestyle mandated by Seventeen and Esquire magazines. In flirting, dating and fashion, we tried, and we survived. But in the end, only one of us was truly magazine-worthy. This is our story.

Pro/Con: Should students be required to meet academic standards to play on Blair sports teams?

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac, Eliza Wapner | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:06 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Students participating in MCPS athletics must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and no more than one failing grade at the end of the marking period. Athletes failing to meet this requirement are removed from the team. Views on the effectiveness of the policy differ when it comes to concerns about overall student achievement.

In a sauna, finding nirvana

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:52 p.m. | In Print Features »

Lady Gaga walks into the inferno of a Bikram yoga studio on Capitol Hill Sept. 8, a day after her concert at the Verizon Center. Compared to the Bikram fashion of sports bras and running shorts, her blazer and plastic bob may have been a bit flashy for the occasion. The other eight students took little notice, however - they were too busy practicing the grueling positions, sweat pouring down their faces. Bikram is to yoga as Lady Gaga is to the music business: it's more intense, way hotter and recently, really catching on.

Images (2)

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Photo: Medina-Tayac, Sebastian

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | April 27, 2011, 11:48 p.m. | In ‎Latest »

Photo: Spike

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | April 8, 2011, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Senior Pape Koite (6'7'') leaps into the air to deliver a killer spike as part of Blair's unrelenting offense against Wheaton.