Zoe Johnson


Name: Zoe Johnson
Position: Online Editor-in-Chief
Graduation Year: 2015
Hey there! I'm Zoe, and my spirit animal is a lioness, which sums up my personality pretty well, actually--though I do try not rip people from limb to limb if I can help it. But hey, we've all got our growth areas, right? I really enjoy cupcakes, women's soccer, theatre, laughing, dumb Internet quizzes, zodiac signs and anything having to do with words, especially reading, writing, languages and--first and foremost--this site. Welcome. I'm glad you're here. Poke around a bit, won't you?


Stories (56)


In memoriam of Blair graduate Lowell Ensel

By Zoe Johnson | May 15, 2015, 11:39 p.m. | In Features »

As we grieve for Lowell's passing and celebrate his life, we would like to provide a forum for current or former Blazers, family members, friends, peers, teachers and all others to share memories and thoughts of Lowell. To contribute, please email your remembrances to editors.sco@gmail.com.

Recent Blair graduate dies of unknown causes

By Zoe Johnson | May 15, 2015, 11:35 p.m. | In Local »

On Monday, the Blair community and alumni mourned the loss of University of Maryland sophomore Lowell Ensel (Blair class of 2013).

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award recommendations

By Amalia Chiapperino, Eleanor Linafelt, Neida Mbuia Joao, Arthi Vijaykumar, Zoe Johnson, Sarah Trunk | April 23, 2015, 8:42 p.m. | In Books »

As the year winds down, it's time to make a lot of decisions: which Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominee you'll be voting for. Silver Chips Online has read, reviewed and ranked the books--so you don't have to.

"The Lady" burns with pride

By Zoe Johnson | April 21, 2015, 1:49 p.m. | In Plays »

More than anything, Lumina Studio Theatre's production of Christopher Fry's "The Lady's Not for Burning" makes one think about time.

Blair on lockdown following gas station robbery

By Dylan Ahunhodjaev, Zoe Johnson | April 17, 2015, 2:33 p.m. | In Local »

Today, school security guards put Montgomery Blair High School on lockdown beginning at the start of the school day following an attempted robbery at the Shell gas station on the corner of University Blvd. and Colesville Rd.

An inspiring but unrealistic "Beginning"

By Zoe Johnson | March 26, 2015, 1:47 p.m. | In Books »

It's 335 pages of quick-paced, intriguing action and reflection on youth, life and love, with satisfying, enjoyable insights and conclusions. Ezra, the 17-year-old protagonist, is thoughtful and witty, and his emotional development and character arc are impressive.

Starr to end term as superintendent early

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 8, 2015, 6:26 p.m. | In News Blog »

The decision, which followed a report that a majority of the school board did not support the renewal of Starr's contract has sparked controversy across Montgomery County, primarily due to lack of explanations from the Board of Education.

Celebrating Nutella Day, one spoonful at a time

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 4, 2015, 11:18 p.m. | In Food »

As you may or may not know, tomorrow is the most important day of the year. I am referring, of course, to the illustrious holiday World Nutella Day.

SCO snoWatch: January 26, 2015

By Brian Le, Zoe Johnson | Jan. 24, 2015, 10:20 p.m. | In Humor »

How-ev-er, before the snow day comes the call, and before the call comes predictions. SCO, of course, is the most accurate predictor of snow days; so stick around for updates on whether we'll be having a snow day this Monday.

Fall desserts: November nourishment

By Zoe Johnson | Nov. 1, 2014, 12:13 a.m. | In Food »

Whatever the reason—and whether you like November or not—SCO has some baked goods for you to make the month even better.

Sexism evident in media's handling of Hope Solo

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 11, 2014, 10:38 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

A closer look at Solo's story raises questions. Not only about whether she should be suspended, and whether U.S. Soccer deserves blame, but about the media's treatment of Solo and Rice respectively. There are a few facts that most journalists, in condemning Solo and the USWNT, have failed to mention.

Fall desserts: October opulence

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 30, 2014, 9:18 p.m. | In Food »

October is one of my favorite months for a number of reasons. Supermarkets are filled with pumpkins, apples and spices, and—towards the end of the month—Halloween candy. Here at SCO, we bring you monthly updates on seasonal desserts. Enjoy!

Fall desserts: September succulence

By Zoe Johnson | Aug. 30, 2014, 4:44 p.m. | In Desserts »

If you enjoy cooking and baking, every season is an opportunity for experimenting with the fruits, spices and types of food specific to that time of year. With that in mind, SCO will be bringing you monthly updates on seasonal and festive desserts.

O captain, my captain

By Zoe Johnson | Aug. 14, 2014, 11:15 p.m. | In Features »

Though they all live on in film, a part of each of Robin Williams' characters is gone, disappeared along with the beloved comedian and actor who committed suicide on August 11, 2014, allegedly for reasons related to substance abuse and mental illness.

2014 NWSL playoff predictions

By Zoe Johnson | Aug. 2, 2014, 5:20 p.m. | In Professional »

Here's a brief overview of the current standings and what each team will need to do to secure their place in the playoffs.

And the award goes to...

By Zoe Johnson | June 8, 2014, 10:07 p.m. | In News Blog »

Here at Blair, we have some pretty spectacular students. They win a lot of stuff. SCO presents to you a list of recent awards and their respective recipients, to be updated as often as people win stuff—so start entering those competitions now!

Blazers win big in C-SPAN Student Cam competition

By Zoe Johnson | May 2, 2014, 1:03 p.m. | In Local »

Representatives from the C-SPAN Student Cam competition presented awards to 31 Blazers in the auditorium on Wednesday.

NWSL Week Two Update

By Zoe Johnson | April 28, 2014, 1:14 p.m. | In Professional »

With the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) almost two weeks into its second season, teams are fighting to prove themselves early—and there is much to prove.

Plotinsky's delicious desserts are "Just About Baked"

By Zoe Johnson | April 28, 2014, 9:25 a.m. | In Entertainment »

Whether you're an experienced or newbie baker, if you're interested in trying out some yummy new dessert recipes, head over to "Just About Baked," English teacher Miriam Plotinsky's new food blog.

2014 National Women's Soccer League predictions

By Zoe Johnson | April 13, 2014, 5:48 p.m. | In Professional »

Didn't know we had a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)? No clue who the teams are? Unsure why you're reading this? Don't worry. SCO is here to help.

Termites discovered at Blair

By Zoe Johnson | April 12, 2014, 11:40 p.m. | In Local »

After thousands of termites emerged in the arts hallway last Tuesday, a county exterminator has indicated the possibility of a termite infestation at Blair.

NewsChips: What's Up with Ukraine and Crimea?

By Zoe Johnson | April 8, 2014, 1:49 p.m. | In News Blog »

Stories of revolution, Russian occupation and other political disruption flood the daily cycle straight from the small countries' on-the-ground media coverage. However, few people know where Ukraine and Crimea are, let alone understand the political turmoil wracking the countries. In light of that confusion, here's a quick, easy explanation of the complex Ukrainian and Crimean conflict.

LoveSCOpe: Senior Unity Date

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | March 9, 2014, 10:36 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Seniors David Ma and Morgana D'Ottavi looked like a great match. We sent them to Pete's A-pizza in downtown Silver Spring to see if these seniors were a match made in heaven.

NewsChips: Sassing Sochi

By Zoe Johnson | March 1, 2014, 8:40 p.m. | In International »

People from all corners of the globe have been giving Russia sass.

Fish and Chips visits Blair

By Zoe Johnson, Harini Salgado | Feb. 20, 2014, 1:56 p.m. | In Features »

They are Year 10-12 (grades 9-11) British exchange students from St. John's Marlborough, a school in Wiltshire, England, about eighty miles from London.

"The Fault In Our Stars" is just about flawless

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 20, 2014, 11:28 a.m. | In Books »

If you are a teenager who enjoys reading, Tumblr and/or Youtube, you have almost certainly heard of "The Fault in Our Stars," John Green's #1 New York Times Bestseller novel that was a major factor in propelling him to the status of Rock God within the ranks of young adult readers. This reputation is well-deserved: "The Fault in Our Stars" is excellent.

Cold front sweeps North America

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 17, 2014, 6:23 p.m. | In Local »

This week's snowstorm, which resulted in 10-20 inches of snow across the Northeast, marked the second major weather event of 2014, following the cold snap in January.

Sochi's not-so-secret scandals

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 17, 2014, 6:05 p.m. | In Features »

Indeed, controversy has commanded almost more attention than the athletes themselves.

LoveSCOpe: Can a bowling date lead to a lucky strike?

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Feb. 17, 2014, 5:40 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Senior Arnelle Kodjo and junior Haki Johnson seemed like they'd get along great.

Songs for a chilly day

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 7, 2014, 6:32 a.m. | In Music »

Here's some music from SCO to help you stay cheerful and mellow in the face of brutal winter winds and equally brutal homework loads.

A delicious Nutella Day celebration

By Dylan Ahunhodjaev, Zoe Johnson | Feb. 6, 2014, 9:15 p.m. | In Recipes »

Well Blazers, it's that time of year again. A time when the clouds and winter cold seem a little less bleak, when everyday stresses and "important work" seem inconsequential and everywhere you look people are alive in the warm spirit of a blessed holiday.

The incredible beauty of the "Secrets of the Universe"

By Zoe Johnson | Jan. 26, 2014, 6:10 p.m. | In Books »

"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe," by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is one of the most absorbingly relatable and exquisite books I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Partnership between Blair and Smithsonian produces anthropology class

By Zoe Johnson | Jan. 22, 2014, 5:41 p.m. | In Local »

Social studies teacher David Whitacre has developed a semester-long class on Native American current events and history that will be available next week.

An eloquent, thought-provoking "Day"

By Zoe Johnson | Jan. 6, 2014, 11:12 a.m. | In Books »

It's a testament to David Levithan's writing ability that the premise of "Every Day" is not the best thing about it. With A, the genderless, precocious protagonist, as guide and narrator, Levithan asks deep, provocative questions about the nature of self while maintaining the bluntly emotional voice of a teenager trying to find their place in the world. The combination of beautiful writing, a fascinating premise and a realistic (as realistic as possible, anyway) plotline is the foundation of this extraordinary book.

LoveSCOpe: Souper great time at Soupergirl

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Jan. 2, 2014, 7:16 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

We sent Sophomore Luisa McGarvey and junior Alex Alia to Soupergirl, located on Carroll Street on the D.C. side of Takoma Park.

Lorde's brand of royalty

By Zoe Johnson | Dec. 23, 2013, 8:06 a.m. | In Music »

Everything about Lorde emanates confidence. (Lorde is a stage name; her real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor). From the unflinching way she stares out of music videos to the proud, knowledgeable words she sings to her persona, Lorde is captivating, and she knows it.

We Knew Her When

By Zoe Johnson | Dec. 22, 2013, 6:32 a.m. | In Features »

Though Kehne's athleticism is a major factor in her success, the effort involved in playing two varsity sports, participating in orchestras in and out of school and getting a 4.0 in Blair's math and science magnet program is more important.

LoveSCOpe: Crepes can't create chemistry

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Dec. 13, 2013, 12:42 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Both described themselves as quirky, entertaining and outgoing in their applications.

"Don't Turn Around" reveals little

By Zoe Johnson | Dec. 3, 2013, 11:30 a.m. | In Books »

When sixteen-year-old Noa wakes up on an operating table in an abandoned warehouse, she is understandably upset: she has no idea where she is, why she's there or what's going on. Unfortunately for Noa—and for the reader—it takes a long time to get answers.

LoveSCOpe: Soccer connections make for a winning time

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Nov. 28, 2013, 5:16 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Welcome to the first edition of LoveSCOpe! We set up students on free blind dates and see what happens. Dates will be published every month. Click here to apply.

Kacey Musgraves' new country sound

By Zoe Johnson | Nov. 22, 2013, 5:33 p.m. | In Music »

To the delight of many of her fans, Musgraves won Best New Artist at the Country Music Awards (CMAs) on Nov. 6. Kacey Musgraves, who was nominated for six awards, released Same Trailer Different Park, her fourth album, earlier this year.

Democrats renew push for immigration reform

By Zoe Johnson | Nov. 19, 2013, 1:07 p.m. | In National »

The Republicans, who took much of the public blame for the government shutdown, may be forced to negotiate with the Democrats in order to reclaim some of their dwindling voter base.

Blazers prepare for new Harry Potter movie on the way

By Zoe Johnson | Nov. 4, 2013, 2:34 a.m. | In Movies »

For many Blazers, the prospect of additional Potter films is exciting. "I love Harry Potter. I want there to be more," senior Michelle McGhee, who self identifies as a Ravenclaw, said. Her wish might just be fulfilled.

NewsChips: Crossed Lines

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 27, 2013, 7:58 p.m. | In News Blog »

When reviewing the lyrics, certain implications come to light. Thicke develops a contradiction in his stereotype of women, singing, "you're a good girl" and "you're an animal," but are those really the only two things women can be? For that matter, while Thicke focuses on contrasting the 'good girl' and the 'animal,' he forgets that there's a better word for describing women: human.

Girls' soccer dominates Springbrook 8-0 on senior night

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 18, 2013, 4:10 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair girls' varsity soccer team (6-6) triumphed over the Springbrook Blue Devils (0-10) in an 8-0 resounding win. The game ended 12 minutes early after a Springbrook player hit her head and had to be carried off in a stretcher.

TED-Ed club at Blair hopes to spread innovative ideas

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 10, 2013, 8:20 p.m. | In Features »

Social studies teacher Kevin Shindel has started a TED-Education club at Blair that will meet every Thursday from 2:15-4 p.m. Club members will watch and discuss TED Talks and hopefully be inspired to create their own.

Girls' soccer edges past Sherwood

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 10, 2013, 4:33 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair girls' varsity soccer team (5-6) defeated the Sherwood Warriors (5-3-1) with a 1-0 victory in their third game of the division championships. The game, played in the pouring rain, was an aggressive battle not dominated by either team.

Girls' soccer crushes Northwood, 6-0

By Zoe Johnson | Oct. 5, 2013, 4:31 p.m. | In Blair »

The Blair girls' varsity soccer team (3-6) triumphed over the Northwood Gladiators in the team's first division game The resounding win was a confidence boost for the Lady Blazers, whose previous games were narrow losses.

Girls' soccer falls to Whitman

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 24, 2013, 1:02 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair varsity girls' soccer (2-4) lost to the Whitman Vikings (3-0-1) by a score of 3-0. Though the Vikings largely dominated the game, the Blazers put up a good fight with solid defense and many offensive chances.

Greatness has been found - and ignored

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 23, 2013, 6:41 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

It's a vicious cycle: the media doesn't cover women's soccer because there's not much of an audience, and there's not much of an audience largely because the media doesn't cover it.

Girls' soccer dominates Kennedy in 4-0 shutout

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 19, 2013, 9:23 p.m. | In Blair »

Blair varsity girls' soccer (2-2) defeated the Kennedy Lady Cavaliers through a mixture of offensive strikes and solid defense. The lady blazers had difficulty getting started, however, and frequently missed chances to score, finally netting two goals at the end of the first half and managing to finish strong with two more goals in the second half.

Egypt wrong to dismiss sexual violence

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 1, 2013, 1:34 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

At least 91 Egyptian women were assaulted or raped at protests across Egypt over the course of four days at the beginning of last July.

Blazers perform at Capital Fringe Festival

By Zoe Johnson | Aug. 29, 2013, 4:50 p.m. | In Local »

Blair students presented Lumina Studio Theatre's "Fireball XL", an hour-long comedy, at the Capital Fringe Festival from July 12-27 at the Warehouse Theatre in D.C.

NewsChips: So much to celebrate

By Zoe Johnson | June 18, 2013, 5:11 p.m. | In News Blog »

Thousands of people in brightly colored clothing, outrageous makeup and Mardi Gras necklaces, stream towards DuPont Circle. Most of them have rainbow colors somewhere on their bodies. All of them are excited for the parade to start.

No Ordinary "Internship"

By Zoe Johnson | June 12, 2013, 2:13 p.m. | In Movies »

In "The Internship," the reality of unemployment and the need for a happy ending that could only happen in the movies collide when two jobless salesmen find themselves lacking skills that can help them in the digital age.

Austin, Lucie

By Zoe Johnson | May 3, 2013, 2:51 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »



Images (4)


Photo: Ashlyn

By Zoe Johnson | Sept. 30, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

The Ashlyn Harris.

Photo: Snow Day 2014

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 17, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

February's record-breaking snowfall buried neighborhoods across the Northeast.

Photo: Nutella1

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 6, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

In just a few minutes, you too can have this deliciousness.

Photo: Nutella3

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 6, 2014, midnight | In ‎Latest »

Nutella hot chocolate: a simple, painless way to incorporate Nutella into your everyday life.