Richard Chen


Name: Richard Chen
Position: Online Opinions and Entertainment Editor
Graduation Year: 2013
I love reviewing movies, and I think it's pretty awesome to be in a position where you can write what you're passionate about and inspire other people with it.


Stories (33)


TechnoLogical: The debacle of technological growth

By Richard Chen | March 4, 2013, 10:38 p.m. | In News Blog »

Every push for innovation has its costs and if we overlook the consequences, our own intellect becomes a double-edged sword in making progress.

SCO picks the Oscars

By Richard Chen | Feb. 24, 2013, 2:33 p.m. | In Entertainment »

Tonight marks the 85th Academy Awards, recognizing the very best of film in 2012. Here is how I think the awards will play out.

This franchise needs to "Die Hard"

By Richard Chen | Feb. 23, 2013, 3:20 p.m. | In Movies »

Don't be fooled by the title of this movie – you can watch "A Good Day to Die Hard" on any day of the week and it will devoid you of any pleasure and leave you feeling miserable and empty. Directed by John Moore, it betrays everything that made the original "Die Hard" so exciting and invigorating.

What's In and Out in 2013

By Jack Estrin, Richard Chen | Dec. 31, 2012, 2:10 p.m. | In Entertainment »

PLOT TWIST: "YOLO" is dead.

TechnoLogical: How to protect your privacy on the Internet

By Richard Chen | Nov. 26, 2012, 5:04 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

With sites such as Google monitoring every click we make, computer viruses evolving and becoming more difficult to get rid of, our privacy is in no doubt at risk if we don't know how to protect ourselves.

Paranormal Activity on the verge of becoming normal activity

By Lily Gates, Richard Chen | Oct. 25, 2012, 3:03 p.m. | In Movies »

Just when you thought the series was over, there still remain unanswered questions and more confusion.

TechnoLogical: the U.S hates file sharing

By Richard Chen | Oct. 15, 2012, 10:15 p.m. | In News Blog »

Last year, the internet managed to gloriously thwart the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Act (ACTA).

Summer Concert Overview

By Richard Chen, Langston Taylor | May 23, 2012, 9:25 p.m. | In Music »

It may not be June yet, but with APs and prom over and seniors leaving this week, it's not too early to start thinking about summer. For those of you who plan on enjoying any live music during the sunniest season of the year, combing through the countless artists performing in the D.C. area can be daunting. Fortunately, your friendly neighborhood school newspaper has taken the time to sift through the masses and find a few local acts that we think Blazers will love. Enjoy!

'Merica, the beautiful

By Richard Chen | May 16, 2012, 12:36 p.m. | In News Blog »

On May 8, we became less of a country as North Carolina passed a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Instead of America, we should drop the "A" and call ourselves "'Merica," a crude and tacky denomination of our country that better reflects dogmatic beliefs getting more weight than public opinion. With North Carolina's amendment, we give one more reason why European nations such as France, Portugal and Sweden think we're dumb.

Volleyball wins counties for second consecutive year

By Richard Chen | May 10, 2012, 8:37 a.m. | In Blair »

On Thursday, at Magruder High School, the Blair boys volleyball team won the volleyball county championships for a second year in a row, defeating Wootton with final scores of 25 - 22, 25 - 16 and 25 - 22.

Blazers disarm Knights

By Richard Chen | May 6, 2012, 6:25 p.m. | In Blair »

All of the boy's volleyball players had a huge presence in scoring points, and this teamwork led them to a decisive playoff win. In three quick sets, the boy's volleyball team (8-1) advanced to the third round of playoffs, overpowering the Wheaton Knights with final scores of 25-9, 25-8 and 25-8.

Blazers place at NCSA Junior Nationals

By Richard Chen | April 15, 2012, 3:37 p.m. | In Local »

From March 20 to March 24, junior Jack Foster and freshman Brian Tsau competed in the Spring National Club Swimming Association (NCSA) Junior Nationals meet in Orlando, Fla. Foster placed 30th in the 1000 yard Freestyle and 55th in the 400 yard Individual Medley (IM). Tsau placed 13th in the 1500 Long Course (LC) meter Freestyle and 23rd in the 1000 yard Freestyle.

Memorial service held for Blazer

By Richard Chen | April 12, 2012, 12:41 p.m. | In Local »

A memorial service was held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring for junior Simon Miranda, last Saturday April 7.

The wrath of the critic

By Richard Chen | April 2, 2012, 11:02 p.m. | In Movies »

With a $150 million budget that was not spent on a decent acting coach, a screen writer or even a fact checker, no one has learned a thing yet about Hollywood sequels. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman and produced by Basil Iwanyk, "Wrath of the Titans" is a mediocre fantasy that tries to get away with most of the flaws in the last film and fails to come up with anything innovative.

AKB48 blows away D.C.

By Richard Chen | April 2, 2012, 10:35 p.m. | In Music »

Japan has gifted us once again, this time with the voices and talents of the international wonder-group AKB48.

Girls' varsity basketball overpowers Churchill

By Richard Chen | Feb. 29, 2012, 1:10 p.m. | In Blair »

The girls' varsity basketball team (20-4) defeated the Churchill Bulldogs (19-5) by a score of 60-47 and will go on to play the undefeated Gaithersburg Trojans on Wednesday. Senior Johanna Lopez led all scorers with 25 points and senior Myla Sapp added 19 points in the win.

The cost of another dimension

By Richard Chen | Feb. 16, 2012, 2:26 p.m. | In Movies »

Three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopy has a reputation for being a gimmicky piece of technology that is hastily used in movies to make more money. With the surge in old films being released in 3D, filmmakers are encouraging the industry to value profits over fan loyalty. The recent re-release of "Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace" epitomizes this trend.

The roar of the engines in Super Bowl 2012

By Richard Chen | Feb. 14, 2012, 1:22 p.m. | In Entertainment »

As exciting the Super Bowl was, the commercials that were broadcasted in between the game's heart-racing quarters were just as amazing. While products such as Doritos and Coca-Cola make an annual appearance during Super Bowl, this year many car manufacturers used a variety of exciting and innovative tactics to grab the audience's attention.

Senior becomes the only Intel finalist in Maryland

By Richard Chen | Feb. 2, 2012, 10:54 p.m. | In Local »

On Jan. 25, senior Frederic Koehler was named the only Maryland finalist in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. The Intel Science Talent Search is a competition that pools together some of the country's top high school students and encourages them to pursue research opportunities. Koehler will compete for a $100,000 cash prize against 40 other finalists from across the country.

A victory for the internet

By Richard Chen | Jan. 22, 2012, 10:39 a.m. | In News Blog »

Since the inception of the bill in September, SOPA has received backlash from sites such as Reddit, Wikipedia and even the media conglomerate, Google.

A very SCO holiday album review

By Richard Chen | Dec. 24, 2011, 9:50 a.m. | In Music »

Although holiday songs may never change, it's always refreshing to see new artists recreate the classics.

Passing on his wisdom

By Richard Chen | Dec. 22, 2011, 2:45 p.m. | In Features »

Meet Damon Pigrom, the new general Physical Education teacher and boys' varsity basketball coach.

Sherlock Holmes' greatest battle

By Richard Chen | Dec. 19, 2011, 10:18 p.m. | In Movies »

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" captivates and brilliantly brings to life two of Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest characters.

Black Thursday

By Richard Chen | Nov. 27, 2011, 11:47 a.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Black Friday brainwashes Americans into obsessing over discounts and prices instead of the true spirit of Thanksgiving. This year's Black Friday fully infringed on Thanksgiving.

Athlete of the Week: Camilla Arias, Girls' Tennis

By Richard Chen | Nov. 1, 2011, 10:43 a.m. | In Blair »

Freshman Camilla Arias came into Blair as a newbie two months ago, but her tenacity on the courts gives the impression that she is really a pro in disguise. With her racket poised, her feet nimble, and her gaze dead set, Arias offsets and dazzles her opponent with the determination that would radiate from a professional tennis player. With the game spanning over an hour long, Arias puts an end to the volleys and takes another game point for Blair's tennis team.

America's 53 percent

By Richard Chen | Oct. 20, 2011, 8:23 p.m. | In News Blog »

In the past few weeks, there has been a new storm brewing known as the 53 percent movement – a movement that is criticizing the protesters on Wall Street.

Board of Public Works approved $18 million grant to counties

By Richard Chen | Oct. 18, 2011, 1:10 p.m. | In Local »

On Oct. 5, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved an $18 million grant for three local counties in order to improve their public school systems. Montgomery County received $9 million.

BCC conquers varsity girls' tennis

By Richard Chen | Sept. 27, 2011, 1:13 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair was tested by a tough BCC squad on Monday night, falling 6-1 and dropping to 3-4 on the season. Although they didn't pass with flying colors, the Blazers believed that they proved their competitiveness against a top-notch Baron team.

Blazer tennis triumphs over Magruder

By Richard Chen | Sept. 21, 2011, 3:32 p.m. | In Blair »

The girls' tennis team (3-3) defeated the Magruder Colonels (3-2), sweeping all of its matches in a decisive 7-0 victory. Although they were exhausted after losing Monday's critical division game against Churchill, the Blazers didn't let up and as a result earned a big win over Magruder.

Girls' tennis falls to Churchill

By Richard Chen | Sept. 20, 2011, 11:15 p.m. | In Blair »

The girls' tennis team (2-3) lost to Churchill in a home makeup game on Monday afternoon. Despite the loss, the girls played extremely well against one of the strongest teams in Division I.

MCPS launches new attendance policy

By Richard Chen | Sept. 4, 2011, 3:44 p.m. | In Local »

On August 29, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) launched a new county-wide attendance policy to ensure student attendance without disproportionately affecting student populations.

A legacy that won't fade "Back to Black"

By Richard Chen | Aug. 4, 2011, 6:03 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Although Amy Winehouse left the world with many unsolved problems, she also left behind a legacy that will make her one of the greatest singers on Earth.

A transformation of expectations

By Richard Chen | July 3, 2011, 12:13 p.m. | In Movies »

As a movie, Transformers is littered with plot holes and fails to have any character development. As a summer blockbuster, it is a flick packed with some of the greatest action sequences and CGI effects to date.