features

Behind the curtain

By Sarah Trunk | Oct. 9, 2013, 4:12 p.m. | In Features »

Crabtree has been in charge of stage crew for the past three years, but this year is different, primarily because stage crew has nearly doubled in size.

New advisor for Student Government Association

By Birhan Alemayehu | Oct. 9, 2013, 2:55 p.m. | In Features »

Already a 10th grade English teacher, 11th grade Advanced Placement English Language and Composition teacher and girls' varsity volleyball coach, Klein, can add another thing to his list of things he does at Blair: Student Government Association (SGA) advisor

The band plays on

By Martha Morganstein | Oct. 5, 2013, 4:02 p.m. | In Features »

The marching band graduated 14 members last year, significantly cutting back on the size of the team. Despite this setback, the band retains its mantra, "the band plays on."

One year of new styles, new experiences and a new culture

By Rohan Oprisko | Oct. 1, 2013, 5:14 p.m. | In Features »

Imagine walking into Blair, navigating the traffic on Blair Boulevard and realizing that for the next year, all instruction will be in the form of a language that does not come naturally. These are the experiences that sophomores Olivia Grabas and Victor Devys have lived through as foreign exchange students attending Blair.

Rocking out for an excellent cause

By Aidan Keys | Sept. 29, 2013, 5:57 p.m. | In Features »

Rock Action is a charity he initiative by Blair seniors Max Poole and Ananth Batni. The organization presents concerts featuring bands in the Silver Spring and Takoma Park area to collect money for cancer research.

There's no crying in captainship

By Grace Hill | Sept. 24, 2013, 8:35 p.m. | In Features »

Sports team captains often get home later than most of their classmates and even other team members due to the extra responsibilities they shoulder. This year, these responsibilities will be even more expansive.

Peter Engelmann

By Abir Muhuri | June 19, 2013, 8:56 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

With binders of math curricula filed across his table, one would assume Peter Engelmann was born to teach math. But that's just not the case.

Mary Lou Thornton

By Harini Salgado | June 19, 2013, 8:41 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

"Good teachers are born to teach," Mary Lou Thornton says, sitting in her office, surrounded by books, photos and papers. Thornton, who teaches three Honors United States History classes and is the resource teacher for the Social Studies department, has been teaching for a long time. "I've been at Blair since 2004 or 2005. It's been such a long time I can't remember," she says laughing. During her time at Blair she has developed a reputation of being fun teacher with interesting classes.

Courtney Wells

By Samuel Popper | June 18, 2013, 7:21 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Courtney Wells is glad she did come to Blair because even though she has just entered the Blazer family, she loves it already and is glad she came here over anywhere else,

Robert Gibb

By Rohan Oprisko | June 18, 2013, 7:33 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

The Hand of God, playing long stick middy, seeing multiple music shows and stopping a fight in his first day as a teacher at Blair, the list goes on and on. Robert Gibb has seen and experienced all of these things and more in and out of Blair during his 24-year tenure.

James Mogge

By Madeleine Daly | June 17, 2013, 8:53 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

James Mogge pulls up a chair in the hallway after school before heading back into his classroom. He stays late to give extra help to students who are waiting patiently in their seats. Kids stay after the bell rings, going over their notes and working with Mr. Mogge.

Katie Lazo

By Sarah Trunk | June 17, 2013, 8:36 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Lazo teaches English as a Second Language (ESOL), and there is nothing she cares about more than her students. She loves talking with them, helping them and really getting to know them.

Kelly Crowder

By Abel Chanyalew | June 17, 2013, 8:18 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

For many students, the mandatory art class is not exactly an important element of the white index card that reads them their schedule. Art teacher and aficionado Kelly Crowder wants to change all that.

Lauren Gonzalez

By Martha Morganstein | June 17, 2013, 12:20 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Lauren Gonzalez has a full plate. She is a dance and health education teacher at Blair, the Student Service Learning Coordinator and Rockville High School's Varsity Poms Coach.

Christopher Klein

By Ross Cohen-Kristiansen | June 16, 2013, 11:59 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Although his career path has often changed direction, Klein feels it has taken him to the right place: teaching English at Blair.

Save the last dance

By Caroline Gabriel | May 22, 2013, 12:48 p.m. | In Features »

The seniors' time at Blair is quickly coming to an end. Among the exams, final projects and bittersweet goodbyes, comes Prom: "the one night when nobody cares who wore the varsity jacket, and who got cut from the team. It's the night when you might find yourself singing at the top of your lungs, with people you've never even spoken to."

Popping the question

By Mimi Verdonk | May 15, 2013, 1:53 p.m. | In Student Section »

With prom less than a week away, the dramatic asking season has officially come to a close. Prom proposals, affectionately dubbed promposals, no longer consist of a simple "Will you go to prom with me?”

Austin, Lucie

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

NBA Hall-of-famer Adrian Dantley speaks on his current work as a crossing guard (VIDEO)

By Emma Howells, Danny Rosenberg | April 24, 2013, 11 a.m. | In Features »

Former NBA All-Star Adrian Dantley, inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 2008, now helps kids cross the street at Eastern Middle School and New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD. A DC native, Dantley has found his way back to his roots.

Mr. Allen: no jokes (VIDEO)

By Jack Estrin | April 15, 2013, 12:52 p.m. | In Features »

"Stevie killed the teacher, Stevie killed the teacher!" And so goes one of math teacher Ty Allen's most legendary stories. But don't let his colorful personality and humorous anecdotes give you the wrong impression about his classroom: his class is no joke. Allen has found the perfect combination of fun, entertainment, discipline and math and combined it into one unique teaching style.

Allen, Tyrone

By Jack Estrin | April 13, 2013, 6:23 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Allen's teaching style is self-described as three things: structured, no-nonsense and organized, and these qualities are apparent. He controls his class, and will not put up with anything but civility. His style ensures complete focus from the students, whether he's lecturing or performing one of his classic solo music acts.

Interactive map shows next year's destinations for Blair Class of 2013

By | April 11, 2013, 8:49 p.m. | In Features »

Blazers are heading everywhere, from Pittsburgh to Patagonia and from Michigan to Montreal.

From Pakistan to La Paz

By Mimi Verdonk | April 3, 2013, 10:15 p.m. | In Features »

Among Blair's diverse crowd walks a group of giggling Hispanic girls conversing rapidly in Spanish about plans for the weekend. Within the voices, a south Asian accent comes across - but only a hint, extremely easy to dismiss. It takes a closer look to see the one girl who is not like the rest: Jawairia Iqbal.

Moving forwards while looking backwards

By Caroline Gabriel, Temi Ibirogba, Emma Yeager | March 7, 2013, 11:27 a.m. | In Features »

Dressed in traditional African attire, students strut across the stage, pausing every few seconds in sync with the music. The entire cast makes their way through the audience and back onstage where they sing their final song. The diverse cast of students links hands and the audience rises and joins in singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

VIDEO: Blazers talk World Drumming and Horticulture (2:40)

By Emma Howells, Danny Rosenberg | Feb. 28, 2013, 7:31 p.m. | In Features »

Course selection for the 2013-2014 school year is fully underway - take a look at two of Blair's most interesting and unsual classes - World Drumming and Horticulture!