media
A semester sequestered
By Jenny Sholar | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:24 p.m. | In Print Features »
Blair is many things, but wild it is not. Its wilderness is limited to the swamp behind the athletic fields and Blair Boulevard between fifth and sixth periods. So for junior Connor Siegel, spending last semester on two-square-mile campus abutting a national forest and encompassing eight different lakes was quite a change.
USDA revises school lunch nutrition standards
By Eliza Wapner | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:21 p.m. | In Print News »
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed new guidelines for public school meals on Jan. 13. The initiatives would require healthy food choices, including more fruits and vegetables in every meal and snacks for after school activities. The new regulations are based on recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine and are updating the National School Lunch and School Breakfast program as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids act of 2010, according to a USDA press release.
From note-pads to iPads, teaching goes high-tech
By Simrin Gupta | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:20 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
Few students remember the last time they hauled out a dictionary to look up a word. Even fewer remember an instance where they had a question that Google couldn't answer. Gone are the days when the twenty-pound textbook was the best resource. Thanks to the emerging technology of e-readers and tablets, anyone can be privy to a plethora of information with just the click of a button or the tap of a screen. Teachers across the nation have finally begun to capitalize on that concept within our classrooms. It's high time that MCPS do the same.
From late bells to wedding bells
By Natalie Rutsch | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:19 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »
Ah, Montgomery Blair High School. What's more romantic than the overcrowded halls, the disappointing football games or the sweaty homecoming dances? It doesn't get much more picturesque than meeting "the one" at a table in the SAC littered with styrofoam Cup O'Noodles.
Take one for the team: Linebackers sacrifice health for glory
By NoahGrace Bauman | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:10 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
After four years of rigorous training and encouraged weight gain, only 3.4 percent of college football players will make it into the NFL, according to the National Football League Players Association. When their glory days fade away, the rest of these athletes graduate from football and move on to suffer from a disease that, according to the Center for Disease Control they share with 26.5 percent of Americans -- obesity.
Diesel exhaust filters installed on MCPS buses
By Srividya Murthy | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:09 p.m. | In Print News »
MCPS has installed diesel exhaust filters on 70 MCPS buses in order to enforce the 2008 settlement with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for improved air quality in the local Washington D.C., area. The settlement additionally entailed the construction of an air quality monitor near the Capital Beltway, which would be able to provide the first hard data on the highway's pollution levels over the course of three years.
Edison and Wheaton possibly to merge
By Claire Koenig | Feb. 9, 2011, 12:07 p.m. | In Print News »
The MCPS Board of Education is examining potential plans to combine the Thomas Edison High School of Technology with Wheaton High School. If Superintendent Jerry Weast and the U.S. Board of Education (BOE) approve one of the arrangements proposed to integrate the schools, Wheaton may offer a new vocational Magnet program through Edison. Wheaton officials hope this arrangement would simultaneously allow more students to participate in the popular Edison program and solve under-enrollment issues at Wheaton, according to Edison Network Operations teacher Jesse McGee.
Ride-On introduces tracking features for commuters
By Philipa Friedman | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:51 a.m. | In Print News »
By the end of the summer, Ride-On, Montgomery County's bus transit system, will have instituted the fully operational Smart Traveler system, which will allow commuters to check locations and arrival times for buses due to arrive at specific stops, according to Montgomery County Public Information Officer Esther Bowring.
Nando's Peri Peri spices up Downtown dining
By Jialin Quinlan, Natalie Rutsch | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:47 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »
With restaurants already spread across five different continents, Nando's Peri-Peri finally brings its cultural flavor to Downtown Silver Spring. Its famous Peri-Peri Flame-Grilled Chicken, which has delighted worldwide, is a fusion of Portuguese and Mozambican cuisine.
Fun for less doesn't mean less fun
By Helen Bowers | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:44 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »
When the weekend rolls around and you're trying to impress someone with a great date idea or just wanting somewhere new to chill with your friends, it can seem like the only thing to do in Downtown Silver Spring is to watch a movie or to eat at a restaurant. Not only does that routine get boring pretty fast, it can also cut a big hole in your pocket. But if you venture a little farther out of your comfort zone, you can find some great places that won't set you back more than $10.
BNC launches new online aspect
By Philipa Friedman | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:40 a.m. | In Print News »
Blair Network Communications (BNC), Blair's media production organization, has made a number of changes since the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, including the introduction of a new online aspect and the addition of "That's All, Folks," a radio show hosted by sophomore Adam Maisto. "The Internet is the main thing I changed," said BNC's faculty advisor Paris Bustillos. "I really thought it should be a bigger part of BNC."
When snow sticks, lessons don't
By Jewel Galbraith | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:39 a.m. | In Print Opinions »
If American boards of education are known for anything, it's their winning ideas. Maryland alone has come up with countless dazzling concepts in recent years: yearly MSA testing, mandatory tornado drills and of course Edline, alerting our parents to our every academic failure since 2006. But this year, our nation's school boards have outdone themselves. Eight inches of snow forecast for tomorrow morning? Well, set your alarms for 6 a.m., kids, because it's time for online school on a snow day.
Book nook
By Claire Sleigh | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:36 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »
Remember back in elementary school when we had all that time on our hands? Back then, the most nerve-racking part of the day was show-and-tell, and there was always time to play and relax. Now, with all the stress of classes, finals and extra-curriculars, finding a free moment to curl up and read a book can be a challenge. For Blazers looking to squeeze a book between physics homework and soccer practice, Silver Chips provides a selection of four different quick reads that are sure to make a lasting impact.
Tangoing with trigonometry
By Eliza Wapner | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:33 a.m. | In Print Features »
Senior Danny Catacora glides across the dance floor. He dips his partner, spins and maintains his graceful poise as he dances around the studio. His body moves to the music, staying directly on the beat. His partner's body spins in and out of his steady arms. Later, after the hour-long drive home from the Baltimore dance studio, math and science replaces ballroom music as Catacora delves into his homework.
Getting down to business
By Maggie Shi | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:33 a.m. | In Print Features »
Sophomores Leah Hammond and Allison Whitney had a major task at hand: cupcakes. The job was, simply, to bake and decorate them, but there was a catch. It wasn't just a couple cupcakes, or a dozen, or even a couple dozen - it was 300.
School system battles tough budget
By Maureen Lei | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:32 a.m. | In Print News »
MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast recommended a $2.16 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 on Dec. 15. The budget is $60 million more than the FY 2011 budget.
The knights next door
By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:29 a.m. | In Print Features »
This is a battle like no other. Javelins soar over the slowly setting sun. Swords bash past shields and fell enemies. Shouted orders, the scratching of feet on dry grass, and muffled thuds permeate the ambient hum of the Interstate. Eventually, an armistice is called. "Five minute water break, guys!" shouts one. Weapons made of Plexiglas, foam and tube socks hit the ground. The fighters sit in a circle and take turns proposing new drill ideas, joking and laughing. This is Dagorhir.
A new face in cyberspace
By Stella Bartholet | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:28 a.m. | In Print Features »
Scrat is everything a 14-year-old girl might want to be. She's positive and understanding, always listening patiently to others' problems. Scrat always knows the right things to say at the right time. In a sense, she is perfect - except that Scrat isn't exactly human. She is the alternate online personality of freshman Tammy Sidel.
Plugging national security leaks
By Larisa Antonisse | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:27 a.m. | In Print Opinions »
During their childhood days of playing games like capture-the-flag or touch football in the neighborhood park, most kids learn to work as a team to reach a common goal. But despite the enormity of the organized U.S. foreign policy effort, it seems that the country still needs to learn a basic rule of competition that any third-grader could tell you: Don't reveal your team's strategy to the opponent.
Pro/Con: Should Blair Freshmen be permitted to take Advanced Placement Classes?
By Maggie Shi, Claire Sleigh | Feb. 9, 2011, 11:24 a.m. | In Print Opinions »
The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a nationally recognized curriculum in which high school students can take college level classes. Because of the rigor of the course content, AP classes are typically offered only to upperclassmen. However freshmen in some Montgomery County schools can now take certain APs. Blair's current policy does not allow students to take any AP classes during freshman year.
Desastres, alegrías y muchos recuerdos
By | Feb. 9, 2011, 8:10 a.m. | In La Esquina Latina »
Por Janett Encinas El año 2010 estuvo cargado de muchas emociones como el triunfo de España en la copa mundial, el rescate de los 33 mineros en Chile y la reforma de salud en los Estados U-nidos. La copa mundial del 2010 se llevó a cabo en Johannesburgo, Sudáfrica. Comenzando el 11 de junio y culminando el 11 de julio con el triunfo de los españoles contra los holandeses 1-0, esta fue la primera vez que España ganó la copa mundial. Aunque España no es parte de América Latina, es un orgullo que un país hispanohablante haya ganado el codiciado trofeo de oro sólido.
Dress to kill the winter chill
By Noah Mason, Jialin Quinlan, Gardi Royce, Eliza Wapner | Dec. 16, 2010, 7:04 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »
With winter rolling around, it's time to break out the hats, scarves and puffy coats. But for those Blazers who are tired of looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (Ghostbusters, anyone?), your trusty Entertainment Team, along with a couple of extra models, has braved the malls and the magazines to bring you what we believe are the season's latest looks.
Moving on to greater gigs
By Claire Boston | Dec. 16, 2010, 6:43 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »
Shortly after 6 p.m., the band takes the stage at the 9:30 Club. Their sound check is enough to make their front-row fans to erupt in cheers. But they aren't a big rock band performing a gig on a national tour. They are The Agiles, a self-described alternative rock band made up of mostly members from Blair.
Get ready, get set, get stressed
By Srividya Murthy, Helen Bowers | Dec. 16, 2010, 2:55 p.m. | In Print Features »
The light darkens in the auditorium as students and teachers gather to watch their everyday lives projected on the screen. Teachers recognize the difficult job of teaching in a system focused on testing. Students recognize the stress of their common goal: admission into top colleges and an assurance of a successful life ahead.
Advertising for a moral standard
By Gardi Royce | Dec. 16, 2010, 2:51 p.m. | In Print Opinions »
The Silver Chips ombudsman is the liaison between the paper and the Blair community. To have a successful newspaper, there needs to be a competent staff, visionary leadership and a dedicated reader base. Just as important, but often overlooked is the business end of newspaper.
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