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Unfair testing fees hinder education across the board

By Claire Boston | March 10, 2011, 2:50 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

By most students' junior year, the bills begin to pile up. It usually starts with $13 for the PSAT. A couple months later, it might be $47 for the SAT, then another $18 to see a score report that's more than just three numbers out of 800. Factor in $21 for SAT Subject Tests, and in May, throw in a couple of Advanced Placement (AP) exams at $87 each. In a single school year, a student may shell out over $500 to the College Board, all in the name of college preparedness.

Power to the people

By Maggie Shi | March 10, 2011, 2:41 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Pepco. It's remarkable how a single word, especially mentioned at a time of particularly tumultuous weather in Maryland, can spark fits of rage from citizens all across the county. Mention Pepco at a social gathering, and you will surely be bombarded with complaints and horror stories – power going out for no apparent reason, fallen trees that leave entire neighborhoods in the dark for days and dreadfully slow response times.

Middle East Watch

By Biruk Bekele | March 10, 2011, 2:39 p.m. | In Print News »

When senior Nadia Kadry arrived home from school on Feb. 11, she walked right into the middle of a party. Like her relatives on the streets of Egypt, Kadry's parents were celebrating the sudden fall of a dictator that ruled for the last three decades.

Get to know the SMOB candidates

By Philipa Friedman | March 10, 2011, 2:36 p.m. | In Print News »

In this year's election for the 2011-2012 Student Member of the Board, the competition has been narrowed down to two contestants: incumbent Alan Xie and newcomer Hal Zeitlin, both juniors. We asked them about their positions on key issues for the upcoming year and a little about their qualifications. Stay tuned for the "Meet The Candidates" TV show, which will air on the MCPS cable channel beginning March 21.

A zero-sum game of zero tolerance

By | March 10, 2011, 2:33 p.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. Schools throughout the country base drug discipline policies on the idea that all drug-using teens are unmotivated and lazy people who consistently break rules. But this was not true for Nick Stuban, a 15-year-old student from Fairfax County who was caught buying JWH-018, a legal drug with marijuana-like effects. Before the incident, Stuban was a model student in academics, athletics and attendance. But all this changed when his school suspended him and later transferred him to a different school under their strict discipline policy. After months of emotional stress, Stuban committed suicide on Jan. 20.

Supporting the speech, opposing the message

By | March 10, 2011, 2:29 p.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. As the dark train of cars inched along the rural Maryland road, the gloomy atmosphere belied the family's pride. The son they were burying had died honorably in combat. But one thousand feet away, dogged protesters screamed obscenities and defamed the fallen soldier.

Teaching in tune

By Stella Bartholet | March 10, 2011, 12:23 p.m. | In Print Features »

Many students who have Karen Collins' for their 3D Computer Graphics class describe her as introverted and quiet - hardly the type of person they would expect to sing in honky-tonk, country and Cajun bands.

Keeping choice in abortion universal

By Larisa Antonisse | March 10, 2011, 12:18 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Babies are cute with their smiling faces, soft skin and tiny toes. But motherhood is not always so easy; it can be tiring, expensive and requires serious dedication. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case that all women have the right to choose whether to enter the life-long commitment that begins with childbirth. Legislation introduced in Congress in January would threaten this right, especially for low-income women, and would damage our nation's progress toward universal health insurance.

Community input considered in superintendent search

By Maureen Lei | March 10, 2011, 12:14 p.m. | In Print News »

The Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA), the search firm assisting the BOE with the superintendent search, released the Leadership Profile Assessment on Feb. 17. The assessment identifies the characteristics that community members would like to see in the next MCPS superintendent, according to HYA President Hank Gmitro.

Media center addresses missing Promethean board tools

By Maggie Shi | March 10, 2011, 12:13 p.m. | In Print News »

Frequent Promethean board misuse by outside groups has prompted concern among Blair administration and Media Center specialists. Business Manager Jim Funk sent out an email to Blair staff members on Feb. 11 regarding the issue.

Blair Pair - Hip-hop, Hugh Hefner and no teapots make for the perfect marriage

By Jewel Galbraith, Helen Bowers | March 10, 2011, 12:10 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Ah springtime, the season of love. In high school, finding that special someone requires more than just instinct; it requires time, money and patience. But Silver Chips has a solution for your stale love life: Blair Pair, where we pair prospective soulmates on dates!

A ‘Kehne' sense for competition

By Simrin Gupta | March 10, 2011, 12:06 p.m. | In Print Sports »

She has played for Blair's junior varsity soccer team and she is on Blair's crew team. She played softball in middle school, she bikes recreationally and she even knows how to unicycle. She also manages the girls' basketball team, but only because a soccer-related knee injury prevents her from being out on the court. Blair athletes know that freshman Adrianne Kehne is a sports maniac--but her biggest athletic achievement is in a sport with which most of them are completely unfamiliar.

Leap of faith

By NoahGrace Bauman | March 10, 2011, noon | In Print Features »

Once or twice a week, junior Cecile Drymalski sits cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom. She taps singing bowls and attempts to keep her eyes open as she slips into a meditative trance. These are rituals of Buddhism, the religion that Drymalski follows. But rather than taking the typical path of following her parents into religion, Drymalski has found a faith all her own in order to fill spaces left by not having a religion.

First ICC road segment opens

By Srividya Murthy | March 10, 2011, 11:56 a.m. | In Print News »

The Intercounty Connector (ICC) opened its 5.5-mile segment between Gaithersburg and Olney on Feb. 23, after nearly 50 years of debate and planning. According to Ray Feldmann, media relations manager at the ICC Project, driving on the ICC has proceeded smoothly during its opening weeks.

Maintenance of Effort promotes maintenance of mediocrity

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | March 10, 2011, 11:52 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

The I.D. policy, blue Pepsi, Nickelback: Good intentions do not always produce good results. On the contrary, misguided or irrelevant decisions can harm the very people they were meant to serve.

Basketball boys wreck the rec league

By Claire Sleigh | March 10, 2011, 11:52 a.m. | In Print Sports »

Ten off-the-rim-dunks in the last game, three players kicked out of the gym, dozens of technical fouls and one player crashing into the referee. This is Montgomery County Recreational Basketball's Scrap City, and they are here to win.

Blair Pair - Food for thought: Senior Blazers bond over aspirations for the future

By Helen Bowers | March 10, 2011, 11:50 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Ah springtime, the season of love. In high school, finding that special someone requires more than just instinct; it requires time, money and patience. But Silver Chips has a solution for your stale love life: Blair Pair, where we pair prospective soulmates on dates!

MCPS forms partnership with Navy

By Srividya Murthy | March 10, 2011, 11:49 a.m. | In Print News »

MCPS middle and high school students have started to contribute to Navy-based science and engineering projects as a result of a partnership signed between Montgomery County and Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division. This is the first partnership between the Navy and Montgomery County and was entered at a signing ceremony on Jan. 24 at Shady Grove Innovation Center in Rockville, Maryland.

Basketball boys wreck the rec league

By Claire Sleigh | March 10, 2011, 11:46 a.m. | In Print Sports »

Ten off-the-rim-dunks in the last game, three players kicked out of the gym, dozens of technical fouls and one player crashing into the referee. This is Montgomery County Recreational Basketball's Scrap City, and they are here to win.

County grants schools permission to grow gardens

By Stella Bartholet | March 10, 2011, 11:45 a.m. | In Print News »

Braving the boulevard

By Eli Okun, Natalie Rutsch | March 10, 2011, 11:43 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

T-5 minutes. You leap from a moving vehicle, slam the door shut and join the herd making its way toward the entrance. Once inside, you confront a new set of obstacles: From the slick floors to the confusing maze of halls, the journey promises to be difficult. But before you reach your destination, a chime overhead seals your fate. It's 7:25 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, and another day at Montgomery Blair High School has begun.

Cruisin' cuisine

By Claire Koenig | March 10, 2011, 11:35 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Washington, D.C., is quickly becoming one of the food truck capitals of the country, with over 30 trucks roaming the city streets today and at least seven more getting ready to open up shop in the next year or so. The culinary concept behind each of the trucks is unique and tasty; ranging from Canadian poutine on hot dogs to gourmet french fries and milkshakes, the trucks' interesting choices span several continents. So next time you're looking for a fast, satisfying bite to eat downtown, spring for these quirky alternatives.

With tiger moms or not, students can survive the jungle

By Jenny Sholar | March 10, 2011, 11:35 a.m. | In Print Features »

"From a clinical standpoint, have you ever considered getting some help?" Uneasy chuckles fill the aisles at Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C.'s famous independent bookstore, in response to the question from an audience member. But the speaker at the front of the room, a petite woman by the name of Amy Chua, is unfazed.

Pro/Con: Should student service learning hours be mandatory for high school graduation?

By Simrin Gupta, Claire Koenig | March 10, 2011, 11:33 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

As of the 2010-2011 school year, MCPS requires all students to complete 75 hours of community service to graduate, instead of the 60 hours necessary in past years. Though some students find the requirement relatively easy to complete, others with more rigorous schedules question its necessity.

Celebrate a mad March, Chips-style

By Jialin Quinlan, Natalie Rutsch | March 10, 2011, 11:29 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

It's March: The temperatures are finally rising, the Mardi Gras king cake is long gone and the only holiday to look forward to is St. Patrick's Day, right? Wrong. March offers a slew of holidays and observances so wacky you won't even have time to ask, "What exactly is the Great American Meat Out (March 20)?" Starting with Pig Day (March 1) and ending with Bunsen Burner Day (March 31), the third month really does have it all. Here are a few Chips-tested ideas on how to celebrate our favorite March observances.