Aanchal Johri


Name: Aanchal Johri
Position: Online Editor-in-Chief
Graduation Year: 2014
Aanchal Johri ('14) served as co-Editor-in-Chief of Silver Chips Online with Jack Estrin from 2013-2014. In January 2014, Johri represented Silver Chips Online at the White House as the only high school journalist to cover the White House State of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Address. Johri received a press pass to interview STEM leaders such as the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the OSTP Dr. John P. Holdren and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba. In March 2014, Johri also covered the International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the White House.


Stories (47)


International Women of Courage Awards honors women for bravery and courage

By Aanchal Johri | March 4, 2014, 10:52 p.m. | In National »

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom commended the work of the ten Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award recipients.

Silver Chips Online attends White House State of STEM Address

By Aanchal Johri | Feb. 4, 2014, 11:31 a.m. | In Local »

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, representatives from Silver Chips Online (SCO) had the opportunity to attend the second annual White House State of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ("SoSTEM"), hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

SCO snoWatch: Winter 2013

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 8, 2013, 1:06 p.m. | In Humor »

Bundle up Blazers, with just about a month left in the semester, this might just be the perfect time for a snow day.

Reflections on Nelson Mandela

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 5, 2013, 11:27 p.m. | In Features »

As we mourn the loss of a global hero, we remember his poignant speeches battling inequality, his deft courage to retain his ground while caged in prison, and his compelling plans to reunite his country despite the tremendous racial tension in his post-apartheid nation.

Blair evacuated due to microwave fire

By Jack Estrin, Aanchal Johri | Oct. 10, 2013, 8:51 p.m. | In Local »

Today, around 8:40 a.m., students were evacuated from Montgomery Blair High School after a staff member accidentally left food heating in the microwave unattended, causing a small fire.

Blair graduate found in Potomac River

By Aanchal Johri | June 26, 2013, 9:17 p.m. | In Local »

Today at 9:15 a.m., Montgomery County Fire and Rescue recovered the body of Blair graduate Tekwe Forchick from the Potomac River near Old Anglers Inn.

SilverStyle: Anything but flip flops

By Aanchal Johri | June 11, 2013, 9:07 a.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

As you prep for the summer, give your feet some room to breathe. Lose the sneakers and save your flip-flops for the beach—the possibilities are endless!

TechnoLogical: When Under Armour meets Polo

By Aanchal Johri | May 20, 2013, 7:43 p.m. | In News Blog »

Engineering student Gihan Amarasiriwardena was frustrated that stiff suit jackets didn't complement the sweaty and strenuous task of commuting by bike. He resolved to find a way to wear business clothing while keeping the body cool and active.

Blazers place second at state-level National History Day

By Aanchal Johri | May 5, 2013, 8:57 p.m. | In Local »

On April 27, seniors Elizabeth Billings, Thomas McHale and Thien Nguyendo placed second as a team at the Maryland State National History Day (NHD) competition. The team competed against over 600 other participants and will now advance to the national-level 2013 Kenneth E. Behring NHD Contest, which will be held at the University of Maryland from June 9 to June 13.

Prisoners on strike in no man's land

By Aanchal Johri | May 2, 2013, 7:43 p.m. | In News Blog »

As the president puts it, "The notion that we're going to keep 100 individuals in no man's land in perpetuity…the idea that we would still maintain, forever, a group of individuals who have not been tried, that's contrary to who we are, it's contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop."

TechnoLogical: Facebook advocates for the worst kind of home

By Aanchal Johri | April 15, 2013, 9:46 p.m. | In News Blog »

With the proliferation of smart phones, data plans and social media in the past few years, Facebook users will initially be thrilled at the idea of connecting these three things together in Facebook Home, the new application that will move Facebook to the center of your phone.

SilverStyle: Dress like a princess

By Aanchal Johri | March 13, 2013, 1:19 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Forget the puff-sleeve ball gowns, petite glass slippers and long gold braids and welcome skinny jeans, cocktail dresses and long coats.

What to do when you're feeling blue

By Aanchal Johri | March 2, 2013, 1:20 p.m. | In Connections Blog »

According to a report done by the American Physiological Association, young adults, ages 18 to 33, have reported the highest levels of stress.

5 electives to take before graduating

By Aanchal Johri | Feb. 26, 2013, 8:45 p.m. | In Features »

Course selection for the 2013-2014 school year is fully underway. Before you turn in your registration cards, consider these electives that are only offered at Blair for your schedule next year.

SilverStyle: Hard shell or gel for your cell

By Aanchal Johri | Feb. 20, 2013, 4:54 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

We can all remember the days when we accidentally dropped our phones on the floor and were horrified to watch as the battery pack and cover detached and scattered across the floor.

O'Malley wrong to put Maryland's capital punishment on death row

By Aanchal Johri | Feb. 17, 2013, 3:08 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

This month, legislatures may pass a bill that will forever change the Maryland criminal justice system – and most likely for the worse.

Taming of the Shrew brings Shakespeare to life

By Aanchal Johri | Feb. 4, 2013, 1:12 a.m. | In Plays »

Shakespeare would be proud of Blair's production of his comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" and the extended sequel "The Tamer Tamed," written by John Fletcher. With the audience sitting right up on the stage, the dynamic play fully engaged the audience with its witty humor and authentic implementation.

TechnoLogical: The 21st Century Nuclear Weapon

By Aanchal Johri | Jan. 28, 2013, 5:43 p.m. | In News Blog »

When computer users periodically check up on their Norton AntiVirus and McAfee scanners, they may think they are safe from all cyber threats. However, cyber security extends beyond protection from viruses found on home computers.

The Blair Boogie: Justin makes a comeback

By Aanchal Johri | Jan. 26, 2013, 12:18 a.m. | In Music »

One of the top singles on iTunes is currently a new song by Justin. No, not Justin Bieber, but the legendary Justin Timberlake.

The "fiscal cliff" in a jiff

By Aanchal Johri | Jan. 17, 2013, 6:11 p.m. | In Connections Blog »

After the Dec. 21 end-of-the-world scare passed, the next fear that overtook Americans was that of falling off the fiscal cliff.

New MCPS math curriculum sparks concern

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 29, 2012, 3:09 p.m. | In Local »

Earlier this school year, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) introduced Curriculum 2.0 to all elementary schools, generating both approval and concern among parents and teachers around the county. Recently, a petition against this new curriculum surpassed 1000 signatures and was brought to the Board of Education on Dec. 11.

NewsChips: Know the basics to LASIK

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 27, 2012, 5:34 p.m. | In News Blog »

The idea of waking up every morning to a crystal-clear world is endearing, but unfortunately not possible for everyone.

"Les Miz" breaks the show biz

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 26, 2012, 4:48 p.m. | In Movies »

Just when you thought Les Miserables couldn't get more perfect in Blair drama teacher Kelly O' Connor's vision of the classical French novel, director Tom Hooper's version sets the bar even higher. Les Misérables, one of the most anticipated movies of 2012, exceeds all of its expectations.

SilverStyle: Anne Hathaway's style transformation

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 18, 2012, 10:41 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Any Anne Hathaway fan can easily recall her enormous transformation from a bushy-haired, uniform-clad schoolgirl to a fashionable, ball-gown-wearing princess in the first "Princess Diaries" movie. But Hathaway has made much larger transformations since then.

Montgomery County Board of Education opposes state bill

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 3, 2012, 8:36 p.m. | In Local »

On Nov. 13, the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education spoke against a bill that intends to expand the size of the board and alter the election process for district members of the board. A scheduled hearing by the Maryland General Assembly will take place next month.

TechnoLogical: $500 a text message

By Aanchal Johri | Nov. 19, 2012, 7:39 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

We all know that students get in trouble for text messaging during class, but imagine having to pay a $250 million fine for texting.

MCPS superintendent delivers first State of the Schools speech

By Aanchal Johri | Nov. 19, 2012, 11:54 a.m. | In Local »

On Nov. 12, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr delivered his first State of the Schools address at the Strathmore Music Center.

Junior wins regional Siemens competition at MIT

By Aanchal Johri | Nov. 10, 2012, 6:22 p.m. | In National »

On Nov. 4, Junior Neil Davey won the first place team prize at the regional Siemens Competition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Blair field hockey falls to Blake

By Aanchal Johri | Nov. 1, 2012, 5:06 p.m. | In Blair »

On Halloween, the Blair Blazers (9-5) lost 4-0 to the Blake Bengals (11-3) in the semifinals of the playoffs. The game was hard fought, but the Blazers couldn't keep up with the perennial powerhouse Bengals.

SilverStyle: Fashion photographer captures hidden beauty

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 31, 2012, 7:43 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

Rows of incandescent light bulbs, sparkling glass mirrors, a flurry of camera flashes and of course, some of the most beautiful people in the world. Just another typical fashion show, except this time, you won't see stiletto heels, Prada dresses or designer bags.

Field hockey bombards Magruder in playoffs

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 26, 2012, 4:04 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair Blazers (9-4) made it past the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Magruder Colonels (0-12) 4-0. Junior Leila Bartholet got the scoring started midway through the first half.

Changes to Maryland voting system spark concern

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 23, 2012, 12:05 p.m. | In Local »

This year's Election Day (Nov. 6) marks the first time early voting and photo identification will be exhibited in a Maryland presidential election.

Field hockey triumphs on Senior Night

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 14, 2012, 1:35 p.m. | In Blair »

In their final home game of the season, the Blazers (6-4) beat the Wheaton Knights (1-8) by a solid score of 5-0. Nearly the entire game took place on the Knights' side of the field, while several Blazers stepped up on senior night.

The Blair Boogie: Rapping without a head wrap

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 12, 2012, 6:55 a.m. | In Music »

23-year-old Sosan Firooz is taking a stand for her home country of Afghanistan by becoming the first female Afghan rapper.

MCPS sets record high SAT scores

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 7, 2012, 4:05 p.m. | In Local »

The MCPS class of 2012 set a record high average score on the SAT last year. However, Blair was one of six high schools whose scores did not improve.

Blazers crushed by Warriors in field hockey

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 5, 2012, 7:44 p.m. | In Blair »

After the game was postponed for a week, Blair (5-3) was defeated 3-0 by the Sherwood Warriors (9-0) in their second to last home game of the season.

New biology club at Blair

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 27, 2012, 9:43 p.m. | In Local »

Blair introduces its newest extracurricular: biology club, which hopes to prepare its members for the USA Biology Olympiad.

Blazers sneak past Panthers in field hockey

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 23, 2012, 3:30 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair's varsity field hockey team (3-2) won their second home game by defeating the Paint Branch Panthers (3-3) on a last minute goal by a score of 2-1.

SilverStyle: Back to the Classics

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 19, 2012, 2:25 p.m. | In Lifestyle Blog »

No matter what the latest fashion is, you can always feel secure while wearing these classics because they are too eye-catching to get old.

Blair alum makes it big with "Brooklyn"

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 17, 2012, 12:57 p.m. | In Music »

Blair '01 graduate Sean Cooney's song "Brooklyn" hit 18th on the AC40 music chart on Friday. "Brooklyn" is the first track off of Cooney's latest album, "The Last Thing I Heard Before the Zombie Apocalypse."

Blazers trample Bengals in girls' tennis

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 16, 2012, 4:56 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair's girls' tennis team (3-3) beat the Blake Bengals (4-1) by a score of 7-0 on Saturday morning. Second singles player, senior Allison Whitney was the first player to finish her game.

"No Easy Day" gives everyone a hard time

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 15, 2012, 1:29 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Ask someone about the Navy SEAL Team 6 and they'll likely describe of their unwavering bravery, the death of Bin Laden and now their possible lawsuit against a controversial book.

Blazers wreck Titans in field hockey

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 13, 2012, 8:39 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair's varsity field hockey team (1-2) won their first game of the season by defeating the Einstein Titans (0-3) by a final score of 6-0. Strong defense by the Blazers left the Titans scoreless.

A literal peanut gallery at the RNC

By Aanchal Johri | Sept. 1, 2012, 11:19 a.m. | In News Blog »

After an incident at the Republican National Convention, CNN camerawoman Patricia Carroll will probably find it hard to enjoy another peanut again.

Blazers place at Muslim Interscholastic Tournament

By Aanchal Johri | July 24, 2012, 8:27 p.m. | In National »

On July 8, seniors Mamata Abdou, Marwa Soliman and Azizah Abdul-Samad and freshman Hamza Choudhury placed in several events at the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) Nationals in Toronto, Ontario. It was a three-day event, allowing time for cultural workshops as well as the actual competition and concluding award ceremony. This year, the national competition had over 750 competitors participating in various divisions including: arts, sports and literature analysis.

The Dark Knight (Surp)rises

By Aanchal Johri | July 21, 2012, 1:37 a.m. | In Movies »

If Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was a novel, the entire final movie would be the stifling climax. From a somber start to a gripping end, award winning director Christopher Nolan promises that as the Dark Knight rises, so will the hair on the back of your neck.

Fed forgets ed

By Aanchal Johri | June 29, 2012, 1:54 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Last week, the College Board finally acknowledged what many educators fail to: many of the 1.2 million kids who drop out of school each year have no other choice.



Images (6)


Photo: International Women of Courage

By Aanchal Johri | March 4, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

The audience gives the 2014 International Women of Courage Awards honorees a standing ovation.

Photo: International Women of Courage Awards 2

By Aanchal Johri | March 4, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

First Lady Michelle Obama and Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom commended the work of the ten Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award recipients.

Photo: International Women of Courage Awards 3

By Aanchal Johri | March 4, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

The honorees listen to the First Lady give opening remarks regarding education and courage.

Photo: International Women of Courage Awards 4

By Aanchal Johri | March 4, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

First Lady Michelle Obama and Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom commended the work of the ten Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award recipients.

Photo: SCO Snow Day 2013

By Aanchal Johri | Dec. 8, 2013, midnight | In ‎Latest »

SCO has you covered for the first snow day of the year.

Photo: SAT Test prep books

By Aanchal Johri | Oct. 8, 2012, midnight | In ‎Latest »

MCPS set a record high SAT score in 2012.