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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.

Graduating to a better venue

By | Oct. 7, 2010, 2:16 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. At the inaugural senior class meeting this September, Blair administrators announced that this year's class of 2011 will graduate at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall – and that senior classes will continue to use the venue for commencement "forever." The declaration was a decisive blow for Blair, because DAR Constitution Hall is an insufficient facility for graduation. At a time when budgets are shrinking and enrollment is expanding, the scramble for a suitable venue is understandable. But there are better and more viable options for Blair, and MCPS and Superintendent Jerry Weast are standing in their way.

MCPS turns down funds

By Biruk Bekele | Oct. 7, 2010, 2 p.m. | In Print News »

MCPS will not receive $12 million from Maryland's successful bid to the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) competition after declining to sign the state's application. However, MCPS will still be forced to comply with a new state-wide teacher evaluation system that originally led officials to reject the application, said Maryland Department of Education spokesman William Reinhard. MCPS will not get another chance to receive Race to the Top funding, he said.

In a sauna, finding nirvana

By Sebastian Medina-Tayac | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:52 p.m. | In Print Features »

Lady Gaga walks into the inferno of a Bikram yoga studio on Capitol Hill Sept. 8, a day after her concert at the Verizon Center. Compared to the Bikram fashion of sports bras and running shorts, her blazer and plastic bob may have been a bit flashy for the occasion. The other eight students took little notice, however - they were too busy practicing the grueling positions, sweat pouring down their faces. Bikram is to yoga as Lady Gaga is to the music business: it's more intense, way hotter and recently, really catching on.

Growing gardens, growing minds

By Srividya Murthy | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:47 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Today's students are taught to be environmentally aware. They know the importance of a greener Earth. Blair has recycling bins in nearly every corner of the school. But now, it's time to bring environmentalism into the classroom. Under the new Environmental Literacy Program enacted on Sept. 21 by the Maryland Board of Education, all state schools are required to incorporate environmental education into their science curricula. It's valuable to conduct lessons and study books that teach how to conserve the environment, but those lessons can only be enforced through practical application. Planting vegetable gardens is one simple way to cement the lessons learned in the classroom. The only problem is MCPS's Feb. 26 ban on vegetable gardens in schools.

A night in Bollywood, but without the crowds

By Claire Sleigh | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:38 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

The entrance is almost hidden and the place is dark. The sign outside proclaims that the restaurant is "Open!" but it doesn't look convincing. But inside a different story unfolds, a story of travels and trips, of delicious food and spices.

All's not fair in love and war

By | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:38 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. "All men are created equal." "One nation…with liberty and justice for all." "No state shall…deny to any person...the equal protection of the laws." These patriotic phrases have always been universally accepted as truth. Yet every day, as children study the Declaration of Independence and stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, the law that forces thousands of men and women in uniform to hide their homosexuality directly contradicts American principles of liberty and equality.

Purple Line projects pushed forward

By Maggie Shi | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:14 p.m. | In Print News »

In late September, state and local governments pushed forward the progress of the planned Metro Purple Line and its stations. The changes included a $48 million increase in funding, a design proposal for the second Bethesda Metro entrance, and a solicitation for a developer to build a neighborhood at the New Carrollton Metro station.

Head of the class

By Eli Okun | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:12 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

The best public school system in the nation, the number one education governor, $250 million in Race to the Top (RTTT) funds – it could all come crashing down on Nov. 2, if voters send a former tenant back to the governor's mansion. Or we could rid ourselves of overwrought standardization, dire neglect of teachers' union considerations and a complete failure to support charter schools. Which set of principles will vanish if Robert Ehrlich (R) reclaims Annapolis? It all depends on which side of the education debate's proverbial classroom you're sitting in.

Spy in the city

By Jialin Quinlan, Natalie Rutsch | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:11 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Oleg Ledvekov is trying to steal American secrets for the Russians. He has an accomplice with dangerous access to important American secrets, and she's prepared to spill if her price is met. The only people standing between the Russian spies and top-secret American intel are your trusty entertainment editors. Our mission? SlyFox.

Pro/Con: Will banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving benefit Maryland drivers?

By Maggie Shi, Larisa Antonisse | Oct. 7, 2010, 12:09 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

On Oct. 1, talking on a handheld cell phone device became illegal in Maryland. This law is intended to improve driver safety; however, since hands-free cell phone devices are still allowed, some believe the law will be ineffective in reducing crash rates.

Fall Sports Update 2010

By Gardi Royce | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:59 a.m. | In Print Sports »

Revolution on wheels

By Jewel Galbraith | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:58 a.m. | In Print Features »

Senior Ian Anderson coasts his skateboard down Fenton Street in Downtown Silver Spring (DTSS), scraping his wheels against the sidewalk just feet away from the new Veterans' Plaza. A police officer calls out to him as he rolls by. "Get off your board!” he shouts. "Don't get back on, or you're walking the [expletive] home.”

Cafeterias post nutritional facts

By Philipa Friedman | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:57 a.m. | In Print News »

Schools in Montgomery County are now required to post calorie information for all menu items in accordance with a new County Council legislation effected on July 1 of this year.

A midsummer's nightmare

By Simrin Gupta | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:54 a.m. | In Print Features »

Living without clean water, food, and electricity. Without shelter or money. Living 50 miles away from the closest medical facility. Those conditions are commonplace for Pakistani citizens, the majority of whom regularly dealt with these circumstances even before recent flooding devastated multiple communities across the country.

Above the sky and under the radar

By Jenny Sholar | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:53 a.m. | In Print Features »

Adrian, a senior, stands at his desk in his English class. For what seems to him like an eternity, he stares blankly at the passage he is supposed to be reading aloud. "Focus," he tells himself. "No silly mistakes." For most Blazers, reading a few words aloud is an easy task. But on this morning, it's not easy for Adrian. Stoned, smacked, baked, blazed - he's high.

Enrollment increases for 2010-2011

By Philipa Friedman | Oct. 7, 2010, 11:48 a.m. | In Print News »

The 2010-2011 school year has seen a marked increase in enrollment in MCPS from the previous year, coming to about 2,200 new students within the school system. This arrival of new students brings the total number enrolled in MCPS to 144,000 students.