opinions


The inside scoop on motivational posters

By Charles Lott | Jan. 26, 2016, 2:58 p.m. | In Humor »

Blair students have differing opinions on what effect these peppy, brightly colored slogans actually have on a student's performance in the class and whether a laminated image of an athlete trying their best will suddenly bring to memory a forgotten formula midway through a semester exam.


A warning about school Google products

By Eleanor Cook | Jan. 22, 2016, 8:07 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

In Montgomery County Schools (MCPS), a county which uses multiple Google products, teachers should be wary of using Google products, particularly for out-of-class assignments.


Breaking the routine

By Ellie Struewing | Jan. 14, 2016, 1:50 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Every once in a while, there is a school day that really stands out, leave an impression and allow students to learn in new ways. These days are field trips.


College mail and why it fails

By Ellie Struewing | Jan. 3, 2016, 2:44 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Colleges and universities should reconsider the storm of mail that they send to students and refocus their efforts (and funding) on more tangible ways to help students see if that school is the right fit for them.


Teaching the financial ABCs

By Zewde Ingram | Jan. 3, 2016, 2:26 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Mandatory financial literacy classes are key to ensuring that youth have adequate knowledge to make responsible financial decisions after high school.


Can't survive on $7.25

By Maniza Habib | Dec. 8, 2015, 2:16 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

The campaign across the country should be a wakeup call for politicians in this country. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is not a harsh demand- it's a simple right.


Vitamin Shoppe replaces Carvel Ice Cream and Jerry's Subs and Pizza

By Charles Lott | Nov. 22, 2015, 10:06 a.m. | In Humor »

The Jerry's Subs and Pizza and Carvel Ice Cream stores formerly situated next to the 7-11 at Four Corners have both been closed down. And which company has decided to take advantage of this hotbed of high school consumers? The Vitamin Shoppe.


Why it's more than just #BoycottStarWars

By Zewde Ingram | Nov. 16, 2015, 1:40 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Outrageous trending hashtags and racist trolls are commonplace on Twitter, but recently an especially problematic topic emerged on the top 10 trending on the social media platform: #BoycottStarWarsVII.


Blair's practice fields don't get the ball rolling

By Benjamin Yokoyama | Nov. 12, 2015, 1:27 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Blair's practice fields are large, strangely shaped patches of dirt surrounded by weed-filled grass. Rocks are in almost all of the dirt patches, making the fields seem like a gravel road. When there is a dry stretch, dust is commonly kicked up as players run through.


Hurricane Patricia: deadly, devastating, and not overblown

By Brian Le | Nov. 11, 2015, 4:28 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

In the case of Hurricane Patricia, there was no such thing as exaggerating, and we need to stop believing there was. In treating this storm as another example of overhyping, we risk complacency the next time a powerful natural disaster hits.


Testing our lives away

By Randima Herath | Nov. 6, 2015, 1:04 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Just last week, The Council of the Great City Schools, an organization of the nation's largest urban public school systems, released the first comprehensive survey of testing.


Muslims Misunderstood

By Maniza Habib | Nov. 4, 2015, 1:26 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world and six million in the United States. Despite it's popularity, the American public fears it.


There's never next year

By Nicholas Shereikis | Oct. 13, 2015, 1:17 p.m. | In Humor »

The Nationals, the Redskins, the Capitals, and the Wizards. What do all four of these teams have in common? The answer is obvious if you're a D.C. sports fan – none of them have won a championship in over two decades.


Too much diplomacy

By Eleanor Cook | Oct. 11, 2015, 10:39 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

While meeting with Jinping and maintaining relations China are important, the White House's grand reception of the Chinese president was irresponsible and should have been scaled down.


Test optional benefits students and colleges

By Lauren Frost | Oct. 10, 2015, 2:20 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Instead of measuring the merit of a student based on a single test, schools such as George Washington University, Wake Forest University and Hampshire College have reduced the impact of college entrance exams.


New words added to Scrabble dictionary include lolz, shizzle and twerk

By Charles Lott | Sept. 18, 2015, 8:36 p.m. | In Humor »

Featured are some of the hip new words that you can use to pull off an unlikely victory against your parents in Scrabble.


The contradiction that is mandatory volunteer work

By Lauren Frost | Sept. 17, 2015, 1:31 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Volunteer work implies a service that is done through the goodness of one's heart in order to give back to the community but mandatory turns it into something that must be done--or else.


Boys can play with dolls, too

By Maniza Habib | Sept. 3, 2015, 1:23 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Organizing products by gender is unnecessary, as gender doesn't dictate a person's interests. Gender is simply a social construct.


The crusade of deceit against Planned Parenthood

By Randima Herath | Aug. 26, 2015, 11:47 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

Massive protests against Planned Parenthood, calling for its defunding, have exploded from the turmoil generated by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a prolife organization founded by David Daleiden.


Back to football: Peterson must let his play do the talking

By Benjamin Yokoyama | Aug. 17, 2015, 3:57 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

The media scrutiny that Peterson has endured in the last year has been hectic. His problem is a family issue that should be solved by a mindset change, not a national legal issue.


Call an Uber

By Lauren Frost | Aug. 17, 2015, 3:40 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

"Call an Uber," is becoming a more commonly-heard phrase in this day and age. People want to be able to get places quickly and directly, and this need has increased the use of Uber and other ride services.


Greek bailout doomed to fail

By Sandeep David | Aug. 11, 2015, 3:57 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

However, with the short-term Greek economic stimulus plan and possible $96 billion in assistance come a multitude of safety measures that will ultimately be detrimental to the Greek economy.


A green light for the Pope's discussion on climate change

By Eleanor Cook | July 25, 2015, 7:08 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Pope Francis' actions should be celebrated as an effort that will bring one of the globe's most massive organizations, as well as millions of people throughout the earth, back onto the world stage.


Committing to commitment

By Nicholas Shereikis | July 25, 2015, 10:47 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

It's time we recognize a trait that is characteristic of our generation: our reluctance to commit to anything.


Where is the honor?

By Arthi Vijaykumar | June 21, 2015, 4:15 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Some aspects of national honors societies are beneficial, such as their tutoring and community service chapters. However, the positive qualities of these societies, to many students, are not the deciding factor for joining. For most, it's the way the words "honor society" looks.

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