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Shut up and pledge

By Deepa Chellappa | Dec. 6, 2008, midnight | In Connections Blog »

In my first period class, I am one of a handful of students who regularly stands up and recites the Pledge of Allegiance. On some days, I do so even though my teacher continues lecturing right through InfoFlow. With the relentless stream of information about the structure of atoms going in one ear and straight out the other, it's often difficult to concentrate on either chemistry or patriotism: "I pledge allegiance...electrons...flag...molecule...liberty...bond...all." What a riot.


A way to the White House

By Julia Wynn | Dec. 6, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Apparently, the going price for witnessing history can reach thousands of dollars a night.


Desperate for a bargain

By Jenna Bushnell | Dec. 1, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Our deteriorating economy gives reason to bargain shop. We all want to find good deals to save money, but it seems like some are taking it too far. That desperation for a deal, which manifested itself this past Black Friday, became deadly at a Long Island Wal-Mart when an employee was trampled to death by a frantic mob of shoppers. Jdimytai Damour, 34, was killed while trying to restrain the crazed barganeers.


BangaLore #4: India's 9/11

By Sonalee Rau | Nov. 30, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

The Indian metropolis of Mumbai is home to over 12 million people. This week, they bear witness to a terrorist attack that left 195 dead - including several police officers, American tourists and at least two journalists - and over 300 injured. On Nov. 25, terrorists disguised as students held victims hostage in two famous hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi, then set fire to the former. Shots were fired and explosives set off around several other Mumbai landmarks. The tragedy lasted for three days as captives remained trapped in the city and the death toll rose seemingly without end.


Send Plaxico packing

By Kiera Zitelman | Nov. 30, 2008, midnight | In Sports Blog »

Whenever I watch a National Football League game - regardless of who is playing - it is a sure bet that I will see at least one NFL-United Way commercial. Without a doubt, sandwiched between a Miller Lite ad and a preview of this week's episode of "Family Guy," a caring football player will be helping some children plant trees, or something equally cute. Every professional sports league does a charity partnership, and I'm all for it. The NFL sends a good message with those commercials. But when a player decides to behave irresponsibly and set a bad example for fans young and old, it's time for league officials to show they mean business.


Secretary...Clinton?

By David Tao | Nov. 29, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

It's been almost a month since America swept then-Senator Barack Obama into the office of the President-elect. Emphasis on what separated him from his opponents won him initial support: his proponents emphasized the fact that he was the only candidate that, for example, didn't support the invasion of Iraq, to the chagrin of his main Democratic rival, Senator Hillary Clinton. As Obama prepares to take the reins from his universally despised predecessor, he is continuing to emphasize his unique opinions - this time with the actual institutional power to make decisions that move towards change.


The fall guy

By Anshul Sood | Nov. 27, 2008, midnight | In Sports Blog »

After more than five years of service to Washington, the Wizards repaid head coach Eddie Jordan by firing him on Tuesday after the team's 1-10 start to the season. Jordan is replaced by interim head coach Ed Tapscott, the former head coach at American University. Team president Ernie Grunfeld said he "felt it was time to make a change" - but Jordan was not the problem with the Wizards.


BangaLore #3: Check "IT" out

By Sonalee Rau | Nov. 26, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

This week I finally got to, and I'll never look at IT the same way again. There's been a lot of buzz about the information technology (IT) boom, call centers and outsourcing in India lately. I had heard a great deal about the India-based software and technology company Infosys in the past, but hadn't realized until now the extent to which companies like it are revolutionizing the face of India.


Giving thanks

By Sophia Deng | Nov. 25, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

We're frantically counting down the days until no school, but Thanksgiving is more than just "a half a day away." Thanksgiving is a day to ponder the people in our lives. True, after arriving to high school - where it's all work and no play - there's not much time or energy to give thanks to people or fortunes, but maybe we should.


Weast: don't ruin this historic opportunity

By Jeremy Gradwohl | Nov. 24, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

We are in Obama era. Barack Obama is poised to be the 44th President of the United States of America, and with a majority of Democrats in Congress, Obama should have a successful term. Regardless of his race, Obama has been an incredibly unifying force. Obama supporters go out of their way to be nice to each other. I've noticed that drivers with Obama-Biden stickers have been less aggressive. Even some John McCain supporters are jumping on the Obama "love train."


Wise words from a sleepless senior

By Anika Manzoor | Nov. 16, 2008, midnight | In Connections Blog »

As my junior year came to a close, I promised myself that I would start all my college stuff over the summer. In fact, I went so far as to "start" on a recommendation packet (resume, questionnaire, college list, the works - juniors, expect to get these soon) before school even ended - the exact date was June 13, 2008. And that's how far I had gotten - name, date, typed-out questions. Nothing else.


The end of an era

By Katie Sint | Nov. 14, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

I remember where I was when I heard the news. It was a Thursday afternoon. I was doing math homework and sitting in the living room with the TV on in the background. Over all the shrieking and bubblegum pop music I heard it: "Total Request Live" ("TRL") would be airing their last episode ever in a matter of weeks.


BangaLore #2: Seeking doctor groom

By Sonalee Rau | Nov. 12, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

Well, not me in particular, but a surprising number of people are. Allow me to explain. The other day I was reading an Indian magazine and two pages of tiny print after all of the main articles caught my eye. It appeared to be a classified ads section. Upon closer examination, I realized I had been right. The ads were all classifieds…for people.


A sad day for sports

By Greg Kohn, Anshul Sood | Nov. 12, 2008, midnight | In Sports Blog »

Over four years of high school, most students have the chance to attend at least one sporting event, if not many. And every time, students hear this message: "An important mission of the interscholastic athletics program is to teach and reinforce values relating to sportsmanship, competition, and fair play. It is expected that team personnel, parents, and spectators respect this mission by exhibiting appropriate behavior at athletic events," or something of that nature. Yet an incident at a varsity boys' soccer game this year defied those expectations.


United we stand

By Deepa Chellappa | Nov. 11, 2008, midnight | In Connections Blog »

I was shocked when I heard about the death of Tai Lam last Saturday. He was so young and had so much to live for. An honor student, a member of the wrestling team and fashion club, Tai was clearly a popular kid. He made so many friends in just the first two months of school. Last week, the impact he had on Blazers was obvious. A purple-and-white haze enveloped the hallways, and bowed heads and tears were no strange sight.


Living with the dead

By Kevin Teng | Nov. 11, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Every once in a bored while, I surf the Internet looking for something to do. I generally don't care too much about what I see online – there's the occasional LOL on Digg or the sarcastic comic strip. But rarely do I see things that are, quite frankly, demented.


Holiday hoopla

By Lauren Kestner | Nov. 8, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

I walked into the store last week looking for the perfect low-cost Halloween costume – I was thinking a checkered shirt, jeans, shiny gold badge and boots for the classic cowgirl look – when a glimmer of red, green and gold diverted my attention. The adjoining aisle was flooded with winter holiday decorations: festive white lights wrapped around a massive fake Christmas tree, red ribbons festooned the shelves and an inflatable plastic Santa Claus towered over electric reindeer with noses lit bright red.


Voter vendetta

By Susie Branson | Nov. 6, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

The day I had been looking forward to for over a year finally came on Tuesday - the day I would finally have an impact and make a difference. The day I would vote. Walking up to Pine Crest Elementary School to cast my vote, I thought about all of the friends I hope to represent - frustrated friends who had missed the voting cutoff by a single week, day and even hour. I also hoped that my involvement would not only stand for the views of the 53 percent of voters ages 18-24 that didn't vote in the 2004 election, according to PBS, but to also decrease this percentage for the 2008 election.


BangaLore #1: 'Tis the season

By Sonalee Rau | Nov. 6, 2008, midnight | In Lifestyle Blog »

All the usual signs of the holiday season were visible in India last week. Fairy lights were strung along houses, roads were congested with seasonal traffic and ancient television specials were being aired over and over. The fire marshal limit had long since been exceeded in most gift shops. I almost believed it was December instead of the middle of autumn.


Counting down the days

By Alisa Lu, Kevin Teng | Nov. 2, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Election Day is upon us. In 48 hours, Americans will go to the voting booths and decide who will lead this country for the next four years - one who will inherit a worsening economy, an increasingly polarized nation and many other not-so-great things. Some final thoughts as we all hold our breath...


Redskins underplay and underwhelm

By Jeremy Gradwohl | Nov. 2, 2008, midnight | In Sports Blog »

Lately there has been a lot of buzz about the upcoming Monday night football game between the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many a Blazer has boasted and bragged about the Skins' explosive rushing offense and forceful, hard-hitting defense - yet the team's hopes of a crucial win could easily be shattered.


A half-hour masterpiece

By Poorna Natarajan | Nov. 2, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

With so many projects and tests crammed in before the quarter ended on Friday, I had tons of homework on Wednesday. But that didn't stop me from watching Barack Obama's half hour infomercial that aired primetime on three major networks - FOX, NBC and CBS.


Crossing a line

By David Tao | Oct. 30, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Everybody has certain things they feel very strongly about. Harry Potter, correct grammar, Blair football... fixations also extend into more serious fields such as political issues and social causes and can be perfectly healthy expressions of personal opinion. If left unchecked, however, they morph into obsessions that negatively affect us all.


Just the facts, please

By Katie Sint | Oct. 30, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

Every so often, I'll be a nerd and just perch in front of my computer, reading the latest national news and checking poll numbers. In an effort to avoid starting an essay, I wen on to FoxNews.com, wanting to see how Obama was faring in the election according to a media filter that was somewhat detached from reality. The latest updated article on Obama on the FoxNews site was a news story about how Obama had declared to Ellen DeGeneres that he was a better dancer than McCain. The first line in the article read, "They really will do anything to win."


Economy is leading race - and beating color

By Fran Djoukeng | Oct. 29, 2008, midnight | In News Blog »

As Americans all over the country are experiencing financial crises and segments of the United States are already experiencing an economic recession, registered voters in the 2008 election have one issue that overruns all: the economy. The economic meltdown, believed by some to be the worst economic failure since the Great Depression, is the central concern for citizens, trumping even the issue of race in the race for presidency.

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