Combs in hand, two black girls work diligently and delicately to finish cornrowing their friends' hair amidst the bustle of 5A lunch. Next to them, three Latino boys are sprawled out among the benches talking, and a few feet away, two white students finish their lunches before the whole group rises and joins the student body of the most diverse school in Montgomery Countyâa school that 50 years ago accepted only white students.
Sophomore Jocelyn Dowling has one thing on her mind as she fights her way through the Potomac River's raging rapids in July 2003: staying afloat. Capsizing could mean the loss of three days' worth of food and supplies tied loosely to the seat behind her. Water sprays across her face as she maneuvers through the whitewater, edging past jagged rocks that dwarf her red canoe.
The Discovery Communications building's warmly lit main lobby smells of plastic, Windex and fresh paint. A cheerfully dinging mechanical contraption pushes and shakes rainbow-colored balls down a series of tracks. Outside, as a family passes by on the sidewalk, its wide-eyed toddler glances back five times at "Stan,â a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil replica that glares malevolently through the glass wall.
Samantha Baker sits across from her longtime crush Jake Ryan, their faces lit by the candles glowing on the birthday cake in-between them. This scene from the classic 1980s movie Sixteen Candles ends with Jake asking Samantha out after the two share a kiss. Oh, the simple days, when romance ruled, and friends were just friends. At Blair, where "going out,â "hooking-upâ and "friends with benefitsâ are common, the dating lines have been blurred and romance is no longer required for physical intimacy. While many Blazers still choose committed relationships, friendships that include sexual hook-ups are becoming increasingly common.
Senior traditions include harassing freshman, loud spirit at pep rallies, and⌠whiffle ball? A bit unusual, but the 2003 senior class has indeed begun a new Blair senior ritual: lunch whiffleball games.
"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.â On March 20, 2003, Lieutenant Tim Collins gave this advice to his battle group, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish at Fort Blair Mayne desert camp, 20 miles from the Iraqi border. Collins' words of advice to his troops could not be more correctâour involvement in Iraq should have been done with care, finesse and expertise. Instead, we refused to "tread lightlyâ and have tried to force our democratic ideals on a nation that continues to staunchly refuse them. In fact, the use of guerrilla warfare now by insurgents threatens to turn Iraq into another Vietnam.
We said, âwe're gonna make books about books for people who like reading, and to help people enjoy reading.' And that's exactly what we've done,â said Justin Kestler, editorial director of SparkNotes, in an Aug 1 interview for NPR's Talk of the Nation.
Most summer movies are designed for one thing, money making. Mile high hype equals even higher profits, especially when coupled with expensive eye-candy (Triple X being the most recent and stereotypical offender). Minority Report, however, like many Spielberg films, encompasses not only the cash-cow ethics of summer salivation but also the legitimate respectability associated with the director of Schindler's List and The Color Purple. Minority Report joins the accessibility of Jurassic Park, the dystopian sci-fi future of A. I., and an as of yet untouched (by Spielberg) element: film noir.
A phone in one hand and a clicking mouse in the other, senior Denise Sylla taps her foot and scans FastWeb, a scholarship search web site, as she waits on hold with admissions officers from Wellesley College at the computer in the Student Government Association (SGA) office during lunch on April 30.
We found 4988 results.
