media

In protecting athletes, colleges can't be fickle with sickle

By Gardi Royce | Nov. 11, 2010, 12:21 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

With every fallen leaf and degree drop in temperature, the weather is telling us that it's that time of season again. That season in which boys become men and proven players lead their teams to victory. It's time for football playoffs. From Montgomery County divisions to the Bowl Championship Series, teams will gear up for what they've been waiting for all year: the heralded football playoffs. Yet the road to the post season is one of intense dedication and practices, something for which not every athlete's body is prepared.

Blair graduation rate increases

By Biruk Bekele | Nov. 11, 2010, 12:21 p.m. | In Print News »

After five years of decline, Blair's graduation rate rose to 88.1 percent for the class of 2010, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous school year, according to an MCPS report. Similarly, the graduation rate for MCPS increased from 87.4 percent to 90 percent and the Maryland graduation rate increased from 85.2 percent to 86.5 percent.

The underage bureaucracy: Students enter the political arena

By Claire Koenig | Nov. 11, 2010, 12:13 p.m. | In Print Features »

Adults everywhere bemoan the apathy and laziness of the new teenage generation. Cries of "When I was your age" call attention to apparent ignorance in teens, especially where current events are concerned. This opinion was quashed somewhat when Obama's 2008 campaign revitalized and motivated young people, using more student volunteers than any election ever before and bringing back issues that pertain to students. But according to the PEW research center, the number of young Americans that are deeply invested in politics is dwindling. But although this generalization rings true for many high school students today, it's certainly not the case with all of them.

Losing the LC

By Claire Boston | Nov. 11, 2010, 12:08 p.m. | In Print Features »

Principal Darryl Williams spent the 90 minutes of fifth and sixth period away from his desk. He wasn't in meetings, he hadn't taken a trip to Central Office, and he wasn't patrolling the halls. Instead, he was sitting in the senior courtyard, conversing with the dozen or so students who filled the tables around him. Their topic of conversation was new attendance policy.

Two football players recover from homecoming game injuries

By Eliza Wapner | Nov. 11, 2010, noon | In Print News »

Junior tight-end Lio Medal and Senior running back and corner back Jonathan Aiken were injured severely and sent to the hospital during Blair's homecoming football game on Oct. 22.

On call and ready for anything: Blazers save lives as volunteers

By Maggie Shi | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:59 a.m. | In Print Features »

On a typical Friday night, while most teenagers relax at home or go out with friends, senior Amir Gorjifard finds himself waiting for a signal. It will come at any time in the night. As soon as he hears it, Gorjifard must respond immediately. As soon as he hears it, he knows someone is calling for help. As soon as he hears it, the race against time begins.

Every voice deserves a vote

By | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:57 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

This article was written by the Silver Chips Print Editorial Board and is intended to represent the official views of the newspaper. Every year on the first Tuesday in November, a small number of Blazers have the opportunity to contribute to their local governments for the first time. While some of the students at Blair who are 18 or older could have voted in the Nov. 2 elections, another sizable portion of them could not. These students have all of the same responsibilities as their voting peers. They reside in this country and this county legally, attend the same schools with the same teachers, and learn the same information about the United States' political system in government class. The only difference: They are non-citizen residents of Montgomery County.

Surviving the Anacostia: a feat for fish and environmentalists alike

By Claire Sleigh | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:57 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

A glance out at the river makes it clear there was a storm the night before. The water is coffee colored and moving swiftly, carrying tree trunks, soda bottles and soccer balls, basically any trash you can think of – it's all there.

Hands-on high school teaches lessons beyond the classroom

By NoahGrace Bauman | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:49 a.m. | In Print Features »

Senior Samantha Boyd sits in class, waiting to receive her grade on an assignment. Instead of returning an essay or worksheet, Boyd's teacher hands her a design board. Boyd's assignment is an interior design scheme that she will pitch to a client who has recently purchased a home. However, this isn't just an academic exercise - Boyd's design will actually be used to design bedrooms for the client's children. To many Blazers, doing such an activity for school seems like a far-fetched fantasy; but to others, hands-on assignments like this one are just a regular school day occurrence.

Board of Education investigates classroom fees

By Maureen Lei | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:48 a.m. | In Print News »

In a Sept. 28 letter to the 24 public school superintendents in Maryland, President of the Maryland State Board of Education (MSBE) James H. DeGraffenreidt Jr. requested information regarding the classroom fees, related to instructional materials, that Maryland public schools charge, jump starting an investigation into whether such fees violate the principle of a state funded, free public education.

Helping students to make the cut for Blair sports teams

By Larisa Antonisse | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:46 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

For the select students who have the privilege of representing Blair on one of its sports teams, athletics are a major highlight of the high school experience. But for many other students, devoting weeks to grueling tryouts only to be told that they aren't good enough to make the team can be a serious blow to their self-confidence and willingness to participate in physical activity in the future.

A tale of two Chips: Silver edition

By Gardi Royce | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:42 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

The Silver Chips ombudsman is the liaison between the paper and the Blair community. Ask around Blair, and students will tell you they want more sports and photos in Silver Chips. Many are bored by all the news stories and overload of opinion pieces. They want more comics, more fashion and more entertainment. Each cycle, the Silver Chips writers and editors struggle to strike the balance of creating a serious newspaper while also appealing to a teenage audience.

From international terrorism's twisted web, a solution unspools

By Eli Okun | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:41 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

The little green signs that flutter on many a lawn around here seem to be multiplying weekly. Their simple message, however, reflects a much more complex reality half a world away. The signs that protest U.S. involvement in Afghanistan show a loss of hope in western efforts to rebuild democracy there.

County receives grant for gang control

By Simrin Gupta | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:40 a.m. | In Print News »

Toward the end of this year, The University of Maryland will administer a $2.7 million federal grant to Montgomery and Prince George's counties in order to help pay for anti- gang initiatives.

Live from the Apollo Theater, it's Nathan Foley

By Jewel Galbraith | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:32 a.m. | In Print Features »

As junior Nathan Foley walks onstage, he enters a historic space. The same stage has hosted performances from artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, The Strokes and Jay-Z in the early years of their careers. This night, Foley competes against a group of mostly adult artists and eventually joins the ranks of the many successful performers who have won the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night competition.

It's not murder anymore

By Philipa Friedman | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:27 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

"How does the chicken's leg get from the chicken to my plate?" "Do fish like being killed?" "How do you make steak?" That is what I asked my mother one evening at the dinner table when I was four years old. She gave me honest answers. I never ate meat again.

Silver Chips vs. YouTube

By Natalie Rutsch | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:21 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Pro/Con: Should students be required to meet academic standards to play on Blair sports teams?

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac, Eliza Wapner | Nov. 11, 2010, 11:06 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Students participating in MCPS athletics must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and no more than one failing grade at the end of the marking period. Athletes failing to meet this requirement are removed from the team. Views on the effectiveness of the policy differ when it comes to concerns about overall student achievement.

He may be young, but this freshman isn't green

By Srividya Murthy | Nov. 11, 2010, 10:12 a.m. | In Print Sports »

At fourteen years old, freshman Victor Adamson is small and slight. He isn't built like a linebacker, but he has exceptional athletic talent. As a star freshman golfer on Blair's golf team, Victor shows that his size and age are no shortcomings for his gift - an inherent talent and potential for golf.

JV Journal

By Maureen Lei | Nov. 11, 2010, 10:06 a.m. | In Print Sports »

Local Haunts

By Natalie Rutsch | Oct. 7, 2010, 7:10 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

With Halloween just around the very dark and spooky corner, we're starting to see more and more of our favorite ectoplasm-filled friends: ghosts. But while we know where to find ghosts in the horror movie section of the video store, finding ghosts in our own city is a bit more challenging. As any reporter tasked with a local ghost hunt will agree, oftentimes the paranormal apparitions are less than willing to be found. But while many employees at D.C.'s supposedly haunted hotspots are quick to assure you that the only thing haunting their buildings are tourists searching for a scare, some research digs up lore about the capital's ghoulish history. The one place willing to dish out a ghost story, a Silver Spring auto parts retailer, isn't exactly a tourist destination, but still a good place to point out as a spooky spot when you're driving by. Who knows, maybe with some luck, a little bit of faith and an Electromagnetic Field Detector, you'll have more luck finding a ghost at one of these rumored sites.

As the ambulance rolls, insurance pays the tolls

By Maureen Lei | Oct. 7, 2010, 2:55 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

When a fuse box explodes and sets a home on fire, a senior citizen has a stroke or an office building collapses, a hero must come to the rescue. This hero is the fire department.

SAT participation drops among black and Latino students, ACT participation increases

By NoahGrace Bauman | Oct. 7, 2010, 2:52 p.m. | In Print News »

Participation in the SAT among black and Latino students in the class of 2010 decreased significantly in MCPS, despite the fact that the county celebrated record-breaking SAT scores among these same groups. However, the participation of blacks and Latinos who took the ACT rose.

Metro fares raised despite issues with planning and programming

By Maureen Lei | Oct. 7, 2010, 2:37 p.m. | In Print News »

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) raised fares for rail services this summer to reduce a $189 million budget deficit for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, according to WMATA spokesperson Angela Gates.

Catch me if you camera: a secure solution for Blair's hallways

By Helen Bowers | Oct. 7, 2010, 2:23 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

There's always a heart-stopping moment when a student loses a cell phone. He frantically opens his locker, searches his bag and reaches into his pockets and realizes that his phone is gone for good. He spends the rest of the day imagining places where he could have lost the phone, and how he could get it back. Until recently there was nothing a student could do if someone took his phone, but now there is a greater chance that he will regain his property.