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A new kind of parent-teacher association

By Eliza Wapner | Oct. 7, 2010, 10 a.m. | In Print Features »

Sophomore Michael Morganstein walks down the hallway, pausing to say hi to his various friends. Suddenly he hears "M-Squared," his family nickname, booming down the corridor. He turns around and sees his dad smiling at him.

Country in profile: Nepal

By | Oct. 7, 2010, 9:54 a.m. | In Print Features »

In America, students who don't do their homework are punished with a small grade deduction. But in Nepal, where junior Til Kumari Paraguli spent most of her childhood, students are swatted with a wooden stick.

High school high flyers have class in the clouds

By NoahGrace Bauman | Oct. 7, 2010, 9:39 a.m. | In Print Features »

Most high school students pick up an instrument or join a sports team as an after-school activity, but not senior Sally Ravitz. She wanted something more exciting, more dangerous. Traveling at speeds up to 115 miles per hour and soaring 3,000 feet in the air were exactly the changes that Ravitz desired. Now she attends lessons at Freeway Aviation every Saturday in order to obtain her pilot's license.

A fresh start for field hockey

By Claire Boston | Oct. 7, 2010, midnight | In Print Sports »

It's game day for varsity field hockey. The ball whizzes across the turf as Blair and Wootton fight for possession, each p layer hungry to get it. New coach Christine Denny stands, surveying the 11 Blair players spread across the field. It may be her first year coaching Blazer field hockey, but it's far from her first year on the field.

Country in Profile: Vietnam

By Jewel Galbraith | June 3, 2010, 12:26 p.m. | In Print Features »

A land with no real voting, no freedom of speech and no voice for its people living under an oppressive government rule – it sounds like a description from a history textbook or a fantasy novel. But for 11 years of her life, this was reality for senior Thu Nguyen in her home country of the Vietnam.

Montgomery College approves tuition raise

By Biruk Bekele | June 3, 2010, 12:23 p.m. | In Print News »

The Montgomery College Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition for next year as a result of cuts to its funding from County Executive Isiah Leggett's proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2011, said Montgomery College director of media relations Elizabeth Homan. The college will receive about $15 million less than expected, forcing officials to raise tuition and make spending cuts, she said.

A 'Top'-notch meal with a side of Chips

By Eli Okun, Natalie Rutsch | June 3, 2010, 12:23 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

The knife block was ready, the ingredients from a quick trip to Safeway were arrayed on the table and the griddle was sizzling. Natalie and Eli crouched in anticipation in front of Eli's refrigerator. Silver Chips's own version of "Top Chef" - in a decidedly less glamorous Chevy Chase kitchen - was about to begin, and emotions were running high. The timer sounded, and the reporters-turned-cheftestants were off to Eli's six-burner stove to whip up the best bites this side of Bravo.

Best of Blair Sports

By Gardi Royce | June 3, 2010, 12:18 p.m. | In Print Sports »

Chefs in the city

By Eli Okun, Natalie Rutsch | June 3, 2010, 12:15 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

D.C.: it's the metropolis in our backyards, the site of our field trips and the destination of our Metro rides. The city boasts great monuments, restaurants, museums, festivals and concerts - all the typical markers of a lively city. But, really, what tells us that our beloved neighbor D.C. has made it? That's right, the only honest indicator of success we have left today: reality television.

Evaluating teachers from the inside out

By Jewel Galbraith | June 3, 2010, 12:15 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

In writing a movie review, a reviewer's first priority is always to see the movie in question: Watching the film is the only way to judge the quality of the acting, shots and choice of music. But the Maryland school system is writing the review without even entering the theater – that is, conducting evaluations of teachers but barely looking into what actually goes on in the classroom.

Beyond the boulevard

By Eli Okun | June 3, 2010, 12:13 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

Spending the night of their lives logged onto a virtual world

By Gardi Royce | June 3, 2010, 12:08 p.m. | In Print Features »

As Blazers' Facebook walls have begun filling up with a multitude of prom photos and comments, senior Kamal Ndousse's wall remains empty. No pictures of his date smiling as she fits on the $30 dollar corsage, no parents glowing with pride over their grown up boy. Instead, the pictures were replaced by memories of the "most epic" night of his life: a Local Area Network (LAN) party where he and his friends connected their computers and played video games for 28 hours straight.

Board of Education approves funding waiver for FY 2011

By Philipa Friedman | June 3, 2010, 12:08 p.m. | In Print News »

The Maryland State Board of Education approved a funding waiver on May 25, which will clear MCPS of its Maintenance of Effort (MoE) penalty. This will allow the county to fund education about $138 million lower than the Maintenance of Effort level for fiscal year (FY) 2011. The penalty, according Board of Education staff assistant Laura Steinberg, would have amounted to approximately $51.3 million.

Chartering an innovative route to excellence in MCPS

By Larisa Antonisse | June 3, 2010, 12:06 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

MCPS may be one of the wealthiest school systems in the country, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect. Though its student failure rates may not be as large and discouraging as in school systems like District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), MCPS still neglects many demographics of its student population. Instead of ignoring struggling population groups and continuing unsuccessful instructional methods, MCPS should accept the applications for two new charter schools, thereby offering alternatives to standardized public school education.

On the sports field, student-athletes undergo a coaching role reversal

By Larisa Antonisse | June 3, 2010, 11:59 a.m. | In Print Features »

The sun shines down on the field's freshly cut grass as two teams in different-colored uniforms line up in their formations. The players put on their game faces and dig their cleats into the ground. But as the opening whistle sounds and the first pass is made, both teams rush to the ball in what appears more like a battle than a soccer game. The only mediating force against the chaos of youth sports: junior Connor Dowd and his shiny whistle, signaling his position as referee.

Classes canceled for 2011

By Jialin Quinlan | June 3, 2010, 11:58 a.m. | In Print News »

Six classes have been cut from the course offerings for the 2010-2011 school year, according to counselor Marcia Johnson. In addition, seven classes, a combination of new and reinstated classes, have been added to the course list, she said.

Communicating Blazer interests

By Gardi Royce | June 3, 2010, 11:57 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

When a newspaper ombudsman truly does his job, he becomes a bridge between the readers and writers, a bridge that should help improve and guide the paper. Without the input of readers' ideas and criticism, though, there's no way for that bridge of communication to exist. For the writers to cover what the readers need to know, it's imperative that the readers tell the writers what they feel is relevant. If readers are providing insight into their feelings, the writers will be able to address stories that meet the readers' news and entertainment needs. The good thing is that this communication is easy and doesn't take much time. Any student can write down his or her opinions or suggestions and send them to the editors. This small action can have a large impact on the writers and editors. Feedback is a critical piece of developing the newspaper, and without it, we cannot fulfill our title as a public forum for student expression.

Courting the wrong priorities

By Eli Okun | June 3, 2010, 11:48 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Distributors deserve the right to market videos of women squashing puppies with stiletto heels for twisted sexual pleasure. Businesses merit the same rights as individuals. Residents of the 16th-most dangerous city in the U.S. shouldn't have to keep their home rifles unloaded. If you've been watching the Supreme Court for the past couple years, you've seen this lack of logic at work at the highest level of the American judicial system.

Pro/Con: Is academic tracking an effective way to teach students at all levels?

By Larisa Antonisse, Philipa Friedman | June 3, 2010, 11:46 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Social studies teacher George Vlasits is a part of a county-wide anti-tracking organization that is attempting to halt the separation of students into ability-based classes. Academic tracking has been a fixture in the Montgomery County and state education systems for decades, but new evidence suggests that it may not necessarily benefit students.

Traveling an individualized road to education

By Natalie Rutsch | June 3, 2010, 11:45 a.m. | In Print Features »

It happens all the time: a friend is over-energized, a teacher loses his train of thought, a peer drinks one too many Red Bulls before class. It's easy to jokingly blame attention deficit disorder (ADD) and move on with the conversation. But for some students who actually cope with ADD, other learning disabilities and physical handicaps that make schoolwork challenging, it's no laughing matter.

In case of emergency

By Jialin Quinlan | June 3, 2010, 11:45 a.m. | In Print Entertainment »

It's a typical disaster drill, students calmly exiting their classrooms in single file lines toward their designated gathering sites…Let's not kid ourselves. In reality, bright lights flash as the automated voice repeating drill instructions is drowned out and altogether ignored by the thousands of students making their way to "safety.” The monotone voice is almost always greeted by fist pumps, the scraping of chairs being pushed away from desks and choruses of "yesssss.” In light of the recent surge in disaster drills, it has become this reporter's responsibility to inform readers of the most effective ways to escape the school with all their fingers and toes.

Easy to score, hard to win

By Jewel Galbraith | June 3, 2010, 11:45 a.m. | In Print Features »

It all starts with eye contact. In the middle of a party packed with other high schoolers, Jacob, a junior, might lock eyes with a girl — then, the two might strike up a conversation or, if he's lucky, start dancing. From there, it's a series of tests: casual touching and flirtatious whispers to gauge her interest. Before long, the two are hooking up – usually making out, sometimes more. When they're done, Jacob says, he walks away, moving back into the party.

New evaluation regulations proposed

By Philipa Friedman | June 3, 2010, 11:41 a.m. | In Print News »

The Maryland State Board of Education proposed regulations in April which would require that student performance account for 50 percent of teacher evaluations for all counties in the state of Maryland according to Maryland State Board of Education spokesperson William Reinhard.

Bus fares no longer free

By Biruk Bekele | June 3, 2010, 11:35 a.m. | In Print News »

Starting June 27, MCPS students must pay to travel on Metro and Ride-On buses due to the suspension of the Kids Ride Free program. The program, which gives students free public transportation on weekdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., is one of the many projects the Mont

Weast cancels LC

By Biruk Bekele | June 3, 2010, 11:26 a.m. | In Print News »

Superintendent Jerry Weast eliminated the Loss of Credit (LC) policy after receiving recommendations from the Loss of Credit Project Team, an MCPS work group that researched the policy for eighteen months. According to Suzanne Maxey, head of the team, Weast also implemented the work group's proposed policies designed to reduce absences and truancy.