Silver Chips Online - Montgomery Blair High School

Montgomery Blair High School
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SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
chips
iHate iPods
The N-word
PAGE 23
PAGE 15
April 21, 2005
Winner of the 2004 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker
VOL 67 NO 6
Soccer
league
begins
Spring is here!
Program to curb
gang activity
By SAMIR PAUL
The cherry blossoms were in full bloom during the 93rd annual National Cherry Blossom Festival this month. Many Blazers
traveled down to Washington, D.C., to admire the 3,000 trees. (See story and photo gallery online) Photo by Adam Schuyler
Security enforces locker policy
Increased use of Blair facilities prompts restrictions
By RENEE PARK
Blair security is now strictly
enforcing the after-school locker
policy, under which students may
not use lockers after 3:05 p.m.
According to Head of Security
Edward Reddick, the policy targets problems with Night School
disruptions, door alarm setoffs, locker thefts and building
cleanliness. Reddick stated that
these issues intensified this year
with the school’s increased use.
Students caught visiting their
lockers after 3 p.m. will first be
given a warning. In subsequent
cases, administrators will be notified to deal with the students.
The policy is in line with a
handout distributed in a meeting at the beginning of the school
year to club and athletic sponsors, which states that all students must “bring their items
with them” to their after-school
activities instead of storing them
in a locker to be retrieved afterschool.
Carrie Addison, a Night
School secretary, explained that
see AFTER-SCHOOL page 7
Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
The Blair Sports Academy’s
(BSA) indoor soccer league began
last month and is now running
smoothly, organizers say. The
academy will continue to seek
funds to expand the program for
this summer and next year.
The league was founded last
spring in response to a rise in
gang activity and is sponsored by
the Blair Gang Task Force, a committee of staff, students, parents
and community representatives.
The soccer league is the latest in a series of efforts to curb
gang recruitment and gang-related crimes by keeping students
occupied between 3 and 5 p.m.,
often considered the peak hours
for gang activity. “Just get them
off the streets,” said Security Assistant Jose Segura, one of the
league’s organizers. “Gangs target these kids and make them
do things, commit crimes. It’s
crazy.”
Now in its second year, the
indoor soccer league has grown
from last year’s 14 teams to this
year’s 24. Physical Education
teacher Emanuel Charles, who
works with the league as a referee and security assistant, attributes this growth to soccer’s
popularity with students and the
values that the league fosters.
“Any time you have a sports activity, kids get excited; they get
involved. It’s all about fun and
sportsmanship and living by the
see SOCCER page 9
Chips Online
wins Pacemaker
By PRIA ANAND
By ALEX MAZEROV
Where only first names appear, names have
been changed to protect the identities of
sources.
For junior Lacey Mitchell, faith was
simple. A Baptist her whole life, Mitchell
had a pastor for a grandfather and went to
church every Sunday.
She found comfort in her belief that religion was black and white, that lifestyles
and choices were either right or wrong.
Premarital sex was wrong. Abortion was
wrong. And homosexuality was most
Spectacular
Sexuality and
spirituality
Teacher and SGR sponsor George Vlasits arm-wrestles senior
Ryan Dean at the SGR Spectacular. Photo by Hannah Rosen
INSIDE
see SEXUALITY page 21
‘Sebi for SMOB’:
Junior Sebastian
Johnson campaigns
for Student Member
of the Board.
see page 15
A beautiful mind:
One autistic senior
sees the world
through a different
pair of eyes.
see page 19
Silver Chips Online won the 2005 National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Online Pacemaker
Award at the NSPA National Spring High School
Journalism Convention in Seattle on April 9.
Silver Chips Online, one of three online newspapers in the country to win the Pacemaker, won
the award for the second straight year. The Online
Pacemaker is the highest award given by the NSPA
to high school publications and has been awarded
to the top online newspapers since its inception in
2001. The Online Pacemaker replaced NSPA’s “Best
of the Net” competition, established in 1996.
Online Pacemaker entries were judged on design, ease of navigation, writing and editing, graphics and interactivity.
Red light:
MD General
Assembly passes
major restrictions
on teen driving.
see page 9
Death by burger:
Blazers indulge in
guilty pleasures despite the long-term
health risks.
see Centerspread
2
An unhealthy
Bush Initiative
EDITORIALS
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
P.E. programs deserve more, not less
As the U.S. rapidly progresses towards becoming a nation of the
inert and obese, President George W. Bush has decided to take action
by creating the Healthier U.S. Initiative. The program is designed to
help Americans, especially children, live longer and healthier lives
by challenging them to be physically active every day, eat a nutritious diet and make healthy choices, such as abstaining from drugs
and alcohol.
But while he is touting his new drive towards fitness, President
Bush is quietly undercutting the program at its roots by including in
his Fiscal Year 2006 budget a $19 million cut from the Carol M. White
Physical Education for Progress Program, the only federally funded
program dedicated to granting money for Physical Education in
local school districts. This budget cut will only send the message to
America’s youth that health and fitness are not high on the nation’s
list of priorities, and it is an ironic and frustrating contradiction to
Bush’s push for a healthier country.
According to Blair health teacher Susan Soulé, the areas where
the department will suffer most from the budget cut will be teacher
training, workshops, adequate sports equipment and teaching resources, including updated textbooks. The inadequate funding will
handicap the department’s ability to combat the unhealthy habits
ingrained in children and adolescents that have caused obesity to
become one of the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S.,
second only to smoking, according to http://www.obesity.org.
Downplaying the emphasis on physical activity in schools will
deteriorate adolescent understanding of how and why to develop
healthy habits to maintain for life, making the president’s challenge
to America ultimately useless. “The message this budget cut is sending is that healthy eating and exercise aren’t important,” says Physical Education teacher Cynthia Changuris.
As well as improving adolescent health, physical activity promotes the development of a positive self-image, social skills and
discipline. According to MCPS Physical Education Coordinator Terri
McCauley, students who participate in Physical Education have a
stronger sense of self-worth and are more driven to achieve personal
goals.
Compounding the negative effects of Bush’s budget cut is the
damage already done by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Despite the increase in childhood obesity and Type II diabetes, Physical
Education classes are being cut short to accommodate the various
academic goals set forth by NCLB, according to Child Health News.
However, many studies have shown that there is a definite correlation between exercise and nutrition and intellectual development. Blair’s Physical Education department’s mantra, “healthy
body, healthy mind,” still rings true: “Physical Education reinforces
knowledge learned across the curriculum and serves as a laboratory
for the application of content in science, math, reading, writing and
social studies,” says McCauley.
While Bush’s Initiative is commendable and absolutely essential,
reducing the quality of Physical Education in schools will only serve
as a barrier to prevent America’s children from developing a healthy
lifestyle.
silverCHIPS
Montgomery Blair High School
51 University Boulevard East
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Silver Chips phone number: (301) 649-2864
http://silverchips.mbhs.edu
Winner of the 2004 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Award
Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the editorial board and are not necessarily
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Silver Chips’s content should be directed to the Ombudsman, the public’s representative to the
paper, at [email protected]. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
Editors-in-Chief.................................................................................................Sherri Geng, Brittany Moyer
Managing News Editors..............................................................Kristina Hamilton, Renee Park, Samir Paul
Managing Features Editors........................................................Olivia Bevacqua, Julyssa Lopez, Julia Penn
Managing Opinions and Editorials Editors...................................................Rocky Hadadi, Ashley Jurinka
Managing Sports Editors........................................Ellie Blalock, Lauren Finkel, Dan Greene, Kristina Yang
Managing Entertainment Editors.......................................................................Eric Glover, John Visclosky
Managing Health Editor..........................................................................................................Karima Tawfik
Production Director....................................................................Renee Park, John Silberholz
Managing Page Editors...................................................................................Yicong Liu, Stephanie Nguyen
Design Team.......................................................Arianna Herman, Julia Penn, Sheila Rajagopal, Kate Selby
Senior Editors..........................................................................................Alexa Gabriel, Melanie Thompson
Managing Photography Editors......................................................................Adam Schuyler, Charlie Woo
Managing Art Editors....................................................................................Lincoln Bostian, Rebecca Sugar
Managing Graphics Editor....................................................................................................Sheila Rajagopal
Public Relations Director............................................................................................................Betsy Costilo
Ombudsman..................................................................................................................................Dan Greene
Fact Check Supervisor....................................................................................................................Nora Onley
Online Coordinator............................................................................................................Stephanie Nguyen
Newsbriefs Editor..........................................................................................................................Ravi Umarji
Extras Editor............................................................................................................................Nora Boedecker
Executive Business Staff.............................................................................Tiffany Chang, Yasmin Haghighi
Business Staff....................................................................Kiran Belani, Christopher Stavish, Yuning Zhang
Page Editors................................Pria Anand, Jessica Bermudez, Kiran Bhat, Nora Boedecker, Clair Briggs,
.................................Michael Bushnell, Kristi Chakrabarti, Katherine Duncan, Lucy Fromyer, Jonah Gold,
.................Emily-Kate Hannapel, Monica Huang, Katy Lafen, Sally Lanar, Amanda Lee, Sayoh Mansaray,
..........................Damian Morden-Snipper, Elizabeth Packer, Sara Pierce, Jody Pollock, Veronica Ramirez,
....................................................................Armin Rosen, Ravi Umarji, Avi Wolfman-Arent, Chelsea Zhang
Spanish Page Editor..................................................................................................................Ria Richardson
Spanish Page Writers.................................................Jessica Bermudez, Veronica Ramirez, Ria Richardson
Editorial Writers................................................................................................Betsy Costilo, John Visclosky
Staff Writers...............................................................................................................................Alex Mazerov
Graphics Team...........................................................................................Camille Mackler, Sheila Rajagopal
Photographers.........................................................................................Nathaniel Lichten, Hannah Rosen,
..............................................................................................Adam Schuyler, Hannah Thresher, Charlie Woo
Artists..................................Lincoln Bostian, Robyn Haley, Samir Paul, Rebecca Sugar, Max Wasserman
Sports Writers....................................................................Michael Bushnell, Nick Falgout, Anthony Glynn,
......................................................................................................................................Jonah Gold, Erik Kojola
Professional Technical Advisor..........................................................................................Anne Wisniewski
Supervising Teachers.................................Elba Castro, Maureen Freeman, Dora Gonzalez, John Mathwin
Sponsors....................................................................................................Maureen Freeman, John Mathwin
What did we learn from Red Lake?
School tragedy highlights the indifference of a nation
What could we have done?
At just before 3 p.m. on
March 22 in Red Lake, Minnesota, 16-year-old Jeff Weise
stole a pistol and a shotgun from
his grandfather’s house before
entering Red Lake High School,
where he shot and killed several
students and a teacher before
turning the gun on himself. By
March 23, pictures of Weise and
Red Lake High School were
splashed across newspapers
around the country. And by
March 25, Red Lake was wholly
overshadowed by the case of a
woman named Terri Schiavo.
The massacre at Red Lake
claimed 10 lives in total and was
the worst instance of schoolrelated violence in this country
since two students at Columbine High School in Denver,
Colorado, killed 13 people and
themselves in 1999. Unlike
Columbine, however, Red Lake
has largely been ignored in news
outlets and high schools across
the country.
Rather than dismissing this
tragedy, teachers and school
administrators across America
should be carefully discussing
and contemplating the implications of the Red Lake shootings
— the most disturbing being:
We are no closer to preventing
future school shootings than we
were before Columbine.
This lack of prevention is not
because the recent shootings in
Minnesota were unforeseen and
inescapable. In fact, the violence
in Red Lake could have easily
been prevented if the community had taken Weise’s threats
of violence more seriously. Up
to 20 students at Red Lake High
School knew about Weise’s violent plan before he carried it out,
according to The Washington
Post. Weise had a documented
history of mental illness — having already been admitted to a
psychiatric hospital for violent,
suicidal tendencies — and
should not have legally been
allowed to live with his grandfather, a retired police officer
who kept loaded weapons in the
house.
Did we not learn from
Columbine (where the Denver
police were notified a year in
advance of the planned massacre by a Columbine student but
failed to act) that all imminent
threats of school violence should
be seriously investigated?
Mere hours after the shootings at Columbine, former president Bill Clinton expressed his
condolences and a few days later
gave a radio address in which he
proposed new gun control measures and school safety projects.
In contrast, President George
W. Bush has made no public
statement about the Red Lake
shootings, though he did manage to give a high-profile, latenight intervention on behalf of
Terri Schiavo.
The president and the country should pay more attention
to the violence at Red Lake, violence that points to other problems that need to be addressed:
the inadequacy of American gun
control measures, the insufficiency of mental health treatment
centers in this country and the
ineffectiveness of school safety
plans for emergencies. There
is so much to learn from Red
Lake, and yet Americans have
persisted in ignoring it.
Thankfully, unlike the American public, Blair administrators
have paid close attention to the
implications of the Red Lake
shootings, according to Mark
Curran, the coordinator of the
code red and code blue drills.
The day after the massacre
occurred, Curran circulated a
memo among homeroom teachers that outlined the procedures
in case of a similar emergency
at Blair.
The memo also highlighted
the importance of the code red
drills by citing the example of
Ashley Morrison, a student at
Red Lake who said that she ran
into a classroom with several
other students after hearing
shots and locked the door. The
gunman briefly banged on the
door of the classroom before
moving on. “In all of the shootings that have occurred in the
past few years,” says Curran, “if
the door’s been locked, nobody’s
gotten hurt.”
In addition to passing around
the memo, Curran also created
and distributed photo ID pages
containing pictures of every
student in each homeroom so
that teachers, in the event of
an emergency, can quickly and
silently take attendance.
While these measures are
important, it is also necessary
for teachers to sit down with
their students and discuss the
massacres at Columbine and Red
Lake. Students must understand
that regardless of context, it is on
them to report threats of violence
to the proper authorities.
Until we take the time to
discuss Red Lake and recognize
that with just a little more effort
and vigilance we can better
prevent school shootings, we
are simply leaving ourselves
open to the senseless proliferation of school massacres that are
ultimately avoidable. Especially
in a school of 3,300, it is better to
be safe than sorry.
Letter to the editor
With alternatives to animal
dissection available, I find it
disturbing that students are
avoiding anatomy classes at
Blair because of cat dissections
(“Anatomy and physiology
classes dissect furry felines,”
page 15, March 15).
As a biologist, I know that
non-animal teaching tools work.
Studies have shown that students who use anatomic models,
computer programs and other
high-tech tools (such as those on
www.dissectionalternatives.org)
do as well on anatomy tests as
students who dissect animals.
Studies also show that many
students want non-animal
learning options. A survey of
ninth-grade students found that
50 percent would have chosen
an alternative to dissection if
offered one, and 90 percent believed that students should have
a choice.
Although dissection is
intended to educate, it can
be emotionally traumatic for
students and can even destroy
their budding interest in science.
With so many excellent, cost-effective alternatives available, it
is time for schools to offer better
learning methods.
-Megha Even, Research Analyst,
Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine
silverCHIPS
OP/ED 3
April 21, 2005
Higher education at a higher cost
College Board abandons nonprofit ideals to financially exploit disadvantaged students
By KIRAN BHAT
An opinion
The late Texas congresswoman Barbara Jordan, renowned for
her efforts to educate America’s
disadvantaged youth, once
made a wise declaration: “What
the people want is very simple.
They want an America as good
as its promise.” For millions of
students across the nation, the
opportunity to make good on
that promise through higher
education has not yet arrived.
Even more disheartening,
one of the culprits is the College
Board, the nonprofit organization that creates tests such as the
SAT and the Advanced Placement (AP) exams. In recent
years, the College Board has
alienated those it serves through
high test fees and an increasing
interest in profit.
Fear the fee
The College Board’s frustrating financial policy is highlighted by intimidating fees.
When Career Center coordinator
Sharon Williams referred to the
$41 registration fee for the new
SAT on a March 14 assembly
for Blair juniors, a collective
groan rose from the audience.
Although Blair provides waivers for students unable to pay,
the psychological damage had
already been done.
The new SAT costs $12 more
than the old SAT, and AP exam
fees have consistently risen since
the program’s inception. College Board spokeswoman Caren
Scoropanos says that the rising
fees are necessary to maintain
the organization’s quality. But
Scoropanos doesn’t realize
that imposing fees also deter
students unsure about going to
college from taking the courses
and tests recommended by colleges for admission.
Senior Jorge Giron, who received fee waivers not from the
College Board but from MCPS
for two AP exams, says that had
he not known of MCPS waivers,
he may not have taken those
classes. “I could see myself and
others using money as an excuse
why I might not try to take AP
[exams],” he says.
The College Board’s method
of distributing its own waivers
is inherently flawed. According to Williams, a flat number of
College Board waivers is initially
granted to each school, meaning that affluent schools receive
the same 25 fee waiver forms as
poor schools. Williams approximates that about 250 students in
the junior class cannot afford the
SAT I fee, meaning Blair should
have received 10 times more
waivers than it initially did.
Prep for profit
To add insult to injury for less
affluent students, a $250 million
private test preparation industry
has sprung up to accommodate
only those able to afford it.
Students unable to pay tuition
for courses at the Princeton
Review or Kaplan (sometimes in
excess of $900) are at an obvious
disadvantage when it comes to
SAT success.
The College Board has not
stood idly by as other companies make big money off
its flagship test, the SAT. In
2000, it launched http://www.
collegeboard.com, an enterprise
that acts as a for-profit web site
subsidiary to the College Board.
The site features benign services
such as online SAT test registration services and financial aid
applications alongside a pricey
online test-prep course.
While Scoropanos insists
that the College Board and
http://www.collegeboard.com
are “separate entities, run by
separate people,” associated
only in name, any foray into the
for-profit market is suspect when
it is initiated by a nonprofit organization dedicated to objectively
creating tests devoid of outside
influence.
San Jose State University English Professor Scott Rice, who is
seeking a publisher for a book
he wrote about the influence of
money on America’s education
system, says, “As soon as the
profit issue comes overhead, the
College Board becomes contaminated. A testing organization’s
motives ought to be pure.”
But without any competition
in the field, the College Board
has a virtual monopoly over the
college admissions test market
and is free to raise prices on tests
and rake in extra cash.
Scoropanos offers a convincing defense of the nonprofit’s
control over its market. “The
College Board’s tests are standardized and offer an important
measuring stick for colleges
against which every high school
student can be compared,” she
says. The SAT does provide a
standard against which colleges
compare candidates, justifying
the monopoly. However, the
College Board must be checked
in some way, a task that can and
should be accomplished.
How to fix it
As a solution to both the forprofit ethical quandary and rising test fees, the College Board
should create an independent
oversight committee that would
closely examine the activities
of http://www.collegeboard.
com for any conflicts with the
organization’s nonprofit status
while ensuring that fees are kept
affordable but enough to still
sustain the College Board. Such
a committee would restore some
of the organization’s luster and
refocus it on the goal of connecting students to college success.
The students of America
are at the mercy of the College
Board, and someone must ensure that the nonprofit organization has the correct motives.
A hazardous policy on mercury
By ASHLEY JURINKA
An opinion
The Nats
Gnats
Fast food
Triple bypass
surgery
Blair’s got
poets
And we didn’t
even know it
The digital
music
revolution
iPods
Girls playing
ping pong
Girls playing
beer pong
This past month, media frenzy
erupted over Cardozo High School
in Washington, D.C., where droplets
of mercury were found on a hallway
floor. The sighting of this neurotoxin
was a nightmare for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which
sent in experts to inspect every inch of
the building and test all students for
poisoning.
Yet the few ounces found in Cardozo High School cannot compare to
the tons of mercury pumped into the
air we breathe each day. Alarmingly,
U.S. coal-fired power plants emit
about 50 tons of it annually — hundreds of thousands of times more than
the amount lurking in Cardozo’s halls.
Mercury, which is known to cause
learning and attention disabilities as
well as mental retardation, has gone
widely unregulated in this country. What’s worse is that in the past
month, President George W. Bush’s
EPA has halted all major progress that
has been made in the past 10 years to
fight against mercury problems, by
favoring industries over the environment and human life.
On March 15, the EPA announced
new mercury control regulations that
will delay deep cuts in emissions.
In doing so, President Bush and the
EPA have chosen to let power plants
generate three times more mercury
pollution over the next 50 years than
would be allowed under the original
Clean Air Act.
This rollback was made possible
by a simple change in wording — EPA
officials decided to regulate mercury
power plants under Section 111 of the
Clean Air Act instead of Section 112.
A seemingly minor difference, the
revision effectively downgrades mercury to “non-hazardous,” contrary to
evidence from multiple well-respected
science institutions. Instead, the
EPA will allow reductions using less
expensive controls and more gradual
timetables.
If we were to simply implement the
laws already in place, annual mercury
emissions from power plants could be
reduced to five tons annually by 2007.
But the EPA’s new plan to cap emission at 34 tons a year by 2010 and then
15 tons by 2018 will allow 520 percent
more mercury to be discharged over
the next 15 years. The EPA itself estimated that each year, 630,000 babies
are at risk for lowered intelligence and
learning problems due to mercury
exposure in utero — that’s almost 10
million babies affected by mercury in
15 years.
Despite its new category name,
mercury continues to be hazardous
to the well-being of the environment
and the health of the public. One in 12
American women of childbearing age
has a mercury level that exceeds the
amount considered safe by the EPA.
According to scientists at the Harvard
School of Public Health, contamination by methylmercury, which forms
after mercury that lands in water is
transformed by microorganisms, can
cause heart damage and irreversible impairment to brain function in
children, both in the womb and as
they grow.
Since the new regulations were
released, environmental groups, as
well as the EPA inspector general and
officials from the Government Accountability Office, have criticized the
Bush administration for ignoring scientific evidence and choosing instead
to consult with industry advocates.
In fact, according to The Washington
Post, Bush officials blatantly ignored
a Harvard University study paid for
by the EPA that claimed that controls
could be more aggressive such that
the cost to the industry would not far
exceed the public health payoff. The
findings were stripped from public
documents immediately.
Ultimately, the Bush administration
has found a way to save the utility
industry hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet, many plants would not have
to change a thing about their mercury
policies to reach the original target
set by the EPA — 34 tons a year — if
they simply reduce their emissions of
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, two
gases that react with airborne mercury.
With the coal industry contributing more than $250,000 to President
Bush’s last campaign, the president
and the agency in charge of protecting
the environmental resources and public health would rather look the other
way and hope no one notices.
Fortunately, we notice. This nation wants and deserves clean rivers
and lakes, with fish that can be safely
eaten and air that is fresh. The EPA’s
rollback has put that goal out of reach
for decades to come and, along with it,
has selfishly placed the safety of our
nation’s children at risk.
There is a 60-day comment period
during which the EPA is hosting three
hearings for the general public to make its
voice heard. Tell Maryland Senator Paul
Sarbanes that the inappropriate actions of
the EPA have not gone unnoticed.
He can be reached at (202) 224-4654.
silverCHIPS
4
Should Maryland legalize slot machines?
PRO/CON
April 21, 2005
Though the Maryland General Assembly recently defeated legislation to install slot machines near horse
racing tracks for the third straight year, the issue is by no means resolved. After the 2006 elections, state legislators will again consider joining 35 other states nationwide who have introduced slots to fix their deficit-ridden budgets. Supporters argue that slots are needed to boost state income, while opponents contend that
they are harmful to communities and disproportionately target the poor and those with gambling addictions.
John Silberholz says YES: Money would fund schools
Stephanie Nguyen says NO: Communities are at risk
Dozens of dilapidated schools waiting
years to be renovated. A budget that has
been dried out for decades. Taxes that
continually increase because of budget
issues. Each of these crises has two
things in common — each has plagued
the state of Maryland for years, and each
can finally be resolved if slot machines
are introduced.
History has repeatedly shown that
slot machines are extremely effective
in raising revenue: Slots in Nevada
yield billions of dollars each year, while
modest establishments in Delaware
earn around $200 million annually for
the state. If the Maryland government
were to delve into this rich market, they
would net around $800 million, according to state government estimates. This
amount would be a significant boost
to the Maryland budget, which is now
suffering from a nearly $2 billion deficit,
according to Governor Robert Ehrlich in
a recent address.
However, the money from slots would
not just be funneled to some distant fund
or into mitigating some enormous deficit.
Instead, Ehrlich has planned to set aside
$100 million of the slot money annually
for much-needed school construction
programs, a boon to a system of increasingly rundown school buildings plagued
by restoration delays and little funding.
The slot machines would not only
support the educational system in
Maryland but also boost existing businesses across the state. The horse racing
business, established in the 1920s in
Maryland, has steadily declined in recent
years, with events attracting meager
crowds and turning paltry profits. If slot
machines were built at horse racing facilities, racing would surge, bringing even
more money into the state of Maryland
and increasing employment and profits
statewide. This great boost in racetrack
sales has already been documented in
both West Virginia and Delaware, two
neighboring states that have built slot
machines at horse racing facilities.
The allegation that slots are immoral
and will attract undesirable characters to
our communities is flawed. Other forms
of gambling have thrived in Maryland
for decades. For example, the Maryland
State Lottery grosses nearly $1.4 billion annually, with almost $500 million
entering state coffers, according to the
Maryland State Lottery Association.
Gambling is already a multi-billion dollar business in the state of Maryland and
has created a long-established betting
culture. This culture will remain regardless of whether slots are introduced,
“Casinos saved Atlantic City and
its people,” claims former New Jersey
senator Robert Torricelli. Its 12 residing
casinos racked up $4.3 billion in annual
casino revenues, but Atlantic City has
also racked up its share of problems:
an unemployment rate three times the
national average at 12.7 percent and a
crime index three times worse than national levels, according to a 2002 Federal
Bureau of Investigation crime report.
Now Maryland may also be heading
towards Atlantic City’s grim fate with
the possible legalization of slots. Some
legislators argue that the tax revenue
from slots is necessary to avoid deep
cuts in education and other crucial sectors. But slots would only be a quick fix
to Maryland’s future budget woes, and
in the long-run, gambling will take a
harsher toll on the citizens of Maryland.
Even with millions of dollars pour-
Freshman Mark Goodman: “Yes, slots will
make more money for
public housing and
education.”
rendering any allegations of the degradation of moral values unfounded.
Other opponents claim that slot
machines are simply exploiting gambling
addicts, draining them of their resources.
While this would be an unfortunate side
product of slot machine introduction,
Ehrlich has promised a dramatic 5,400
percent increase in funding for gambling
addiction services, demonstrating the
state’s devotion to aiding those who may
be harmed by slot machines.
Marylanders must adopt slot machines swiftly, because the competition is
fierce. Already, both West Virginia and
Delaware have slot machines that draw
hundreds of millions of dollars annually. If Maryland does not compete, then
it will soon find that all the money that
could be boosting its children’s education will instead be traveling away from
our state and out of the reach of our
Graphic by Camille Mackler
debt-ridden government.
The public support for slot machines
is unquestionable, with a 55 percent to
37 percent majority in favor of slots,
according to a Gonzales Poll conducted
among 847 Marylanders in August 2004.
According to this poll, the plurality of Republicans, Democrats and Independents
all support slot machines. With public
support of this magnitude, coupled with
the inarguable economic and educational
benefits, legislators must act quickly to
legalize slot machines in Maryland.
ing in from slot machines, millions more
would be lost paying for an increase in
crime prevention, since many pathological gamblers often turn to burglary, prostitution and drug trafficking to feed their
addictions. In fact, 75 percent of pathological gamblers have admitted that they
have committed at least one felony to
support their habits, according to James
Dobson, the president of the advocacy
group Focus on Family. Nine years after
Atlantic City’s casinos opened, the total
number of crimes within a 30 mile radius
of the city increased by 107 percent
— pushing the per capita crime there
from 50th in the nation to first, according to Ronald Reno, another member of
Focus on Family.
Those legislators touting slots as
the salvation for the public education
system conveniently fail to mention that
the majority of this revenue will come
from the uneducated and poor, who are
disproportionately exploited by gambling addictions. Gambling is a regressive tax paid primarily by the poor who
are desperately looking for a ticket out of
poverty and a fast way to strike it rich.
A 1996 study conducted by Mississippi
State University found that gamblers
earning less than $10,000 per year lost
about 10 percent of their family income
to casinos, while those earning more than
$40,000 spent only about one percent of
their earnings on gambling.
Slot supporters also claim that slots
would eliminate the necessity for tax
increases; however, Maryland citizens
would wind up paying more for gambling’s social costs. Tax and slot revenue
that would supposedly finance education
goes primarily to paying for treatment
or welfare for an addict who can cost the
economy over $14,000 per year, according to David Robertson, the chairman of
the National Coalition Against Legalized
Gambling (NCALG).
Along with creating pathological addictions, most gambling facilities attract
80 percent or more of their market from a
35- to 50-mile radius, depleting revenue
in and even wiping out surrounding
entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels
and retail stores, according to NCALG.
Within four years of the casinos’ arrival,
one-third of Atlantic City’s local small
businesses had closed, thus destroying
jobs in other trade areas and eliminating
their sales, employment and property tax
contributions to the state.
The Maryland state government has
a moral obligation to protect its citizens.
Legalizing slots will only place the state
and its many citizens in jeopardy. Instead of relying on slots to solve budget
problems, Maryland should look to
Virginia as an example: There, the state
government predicts any future budget
shortfalls and then devises a fair tax system in which every social class shares the
burden of paying for education, healthcare or other social issues.
For years now, Maryland has survived
and excelled against the slot competition
in neighboring states. Slots don’t need
to save Maryland — Maryland and its
people need to be saved from slots.
voiceBOX
Should slots be legalized in Maryland?
Junior Amy Allen:
“Yes, as long as the
state does something
to prevent people from
becoming addicts.”
Senior Austin Grasty:
“No, I don’t think it’d
be good because gambling is addictive and
can ruin people.”
Sophomore Gina Eltobgi: “Yes, the money
will be used for education, which is a good
cause.”
Freshman Joey Jenkins: “Yes, people need
a chance to unwind.”
Senior Chauna Lawson: “Yes, it will make
money for education.”
Information and photos compiled by Charlie Woo
silverCHIPS
How does your religion view gay
and lesbian relationships?
see story, page 1
“My religion is Christianity, and it does not support
gay or lesbian relationships. God made Adam and Eve,
not Adam and Steve. If you are gay or
lesbian, it is going against the
Christian religion.”
-sophomore Sundeep
Keshiah
“I go to a Unitarian Universalist
Church with a
liberal congregation. We
believe that it
is perfectly
natural to be
homosexual,
and we support
giving gays and
lesbians the same
rights as heterosexual people. I
am proud to be a
member of such an
accepting religious
community.”
-freshman Katherine
Bertaut
“My religion, Roman Catholicism, views
gay and lesbian marriage as an act against God and a
condemnable offense. While I personally do not share
this view, I guess the stereotype of Catholics is generally anti-gay and -lesbian rights.
-sophomore Andrew Bort
Do you think that extracurricular
will help deter gangs?
see story, page 29
“I will root for the Nationals because they are
the home team now. Also, the Orioles have
been very disappointing, so I am looking
forward to rooting for another team. Go
Nationals!”
-sophomore Michael Worden
“Although I am not a huge baseball fan, I
think it is important to stay faithful to the
Orioles, even when they are struggling.”
-sophomore Elizabeth Scroggs
“I think that I will root for the Nationals. It
would be exciting to be there from the beginning, although at first they won’t be very good.”
-senior Rachel Feely-Kohl
How do you feel about casual use of the N-word?
see story, page 15
“I think that there is nothing wrong with casual use of the N-word. It’s not a big deal.”
-sophomore Ana Ramos
“I don’t agree with casual use of the N-word. Being African American, I am rooted to the oppression and
suffering that the N-word stems from. Although some people use the word casually, the term originated
from such a strong sense of hate for my ancestry that I don’t believe saying the word casually will change
its meaning.”
-junior Natasha Coleman
“Casual use of the N-word is absurd. Today it is ‘okay’ for black people to use the term freely, but it is
offensive if anyone else does. I agree with the offensiveness, but why would you want to use a word that
was used to oppress people of your own race?”
-senior Katie Schlebecker
activities
How do you feel about abortions?
see story, page 18
“To me there is nothing wrong with an abortion. I think if
you are not ready to have a baby, you should have an abortion.
Otherwise, not only are you hurting yourself, you’re hurting the
child as well.”
-junior Stacie Hughes
“I do not think extracurricular activities help to deter
gang activity because most clubs meet only once a week.
The activities may last only up to a few hours
after school. That still leaves plenty of time
for gang activity after school. Unless
the student is an officer or team captain, they will usually not have to be
very dedicated to their activity.”
-junior Natalie Salaets
“I believe that abortion is an immoral, disgusting practice. As a Christian, I know that killing
is a sin. When people choose to have an abortion, they are depriving that baby of his or
her right to live.”
-freshman Hizkias Neway
“Extracurricular activities do not
help deter gang activity because if
someone wants to get involved in
a gang, they will do so whether or
not there is a club after school. It is
likely that no club will be exciting
enough to draw an individual away
from the thrill and protection of a
gang.”
-junior Amelyne Major
“Abortion should be up to the parents completely. It’s their baby, not the government’s.
Besides, how can we enforce the death penalty
and debate abortion at the same time? That
doesn’t make sense.”
-freshman Zach Brown
“I think abortion isn’t such a bad idea. Why
have a child that you don’t want to have?
People think so negatively about it because
you’re taking life, but some people don’t have
a choice.”
-sophomore De’Era Dunbar
“Extracurricular activities help to
deter gang activity because they keep
students off the streets and at school.
When there are less gang members
on the streets, there will be less gang
fights.”
-freshman Lance Zhao
“Abortions should be allowed. It is the right of a woman to be able to
relinquish the responsibility to care for a child she did not intend to have.”
-freshman Steve Liu
chipsINDEX
dollars is the largest financial obligation
a Blazer owes for IDs
students were absent or tardy on March
24, the day before Spring Break
percent of classrooms at Blair do not have
any windows
days until the next U.S. presidential election, as of April 21
5
Who will you root for, the Orioles or the Nationals?
see story, page 1
200
457
23
1,292
SOAPBOX
April 21, 2005
1,041
26
19
16
calories in a seven-ounce serving of french
fries from the school cafeteria
percent of Blazers played a joke on someone this
April Fool’s Day
school days until Senior Exam Review Day, as of
April 21
percent of Blazers have seen the Cherry Blossoms
in Washington, D.C.
Compiled by Nora Boedecker. Additional reporting by Lois Bangiolo, Rachael Bernstein, Olivia Buzek, Kenny Coleman, Merlyn Deng, Mary
Donahue, David Hu, Ashley Jurinka, Ashley Lau and Adrienne Shanks. Informal surveys of 100 students taken during the week of April 4
Quote of the issue
“How do you explain
racism to someone who
lives by logic?”
see “A different kind of boy,”
page 19
6
ADS
April 21, 2005
Hechts ad
silverCHIPS
silverCHIPS
NEWS 7
April 21, 2005
More blacks accepted into Magnets
Jump in acceptances attributed to MCPS efforts to increase awareness and preparedness
By RAVI UMARJI
Admissions of black students to the three
Magnet middle schools have doubled due
to MCPS efforts over the last three years, according to MCPS Director of Enriched and
Innovative Instruction Virginia Tucker. The
acceptance figures have been released amid
protests by the African American Parents of
Magnet School Applicants (AAPMSA) that
too few black students are being accepted
into Magnet programs.
Overall acceptances of blacks into the
Magnet programs at Takoma Park, Roberto Clemente and Eastern middle schools
jumped from 24 to 51 since last year, with
a 310 percent increase at Takoma, a 300
percent increase at Clemente and a 30 percent increase at Eastern. Members of the
AAPMSA lobbied the County in February
to suspend all Magnet applications because
too few black students were being admitted
and stated at a March 23 Board of Education
(BOE) meeting that the increases are encouraging but not completely satisfactory.
Changes in the program
These dramatic increases have resulted
from MCPS efforts since 2002 to increase
diversity in the Magnet programs by better
“The unexamined
admissions process has
been flawed since the
inception of the
Magnet.”
-AAPMSA coordinator
Thomas Broadwater
equipping potential minority applicants for
the challenges that the application process
poses, said Tucker.
One of the primary reasons for the jump
in black acceptances to Magnet programs
is that this year’s class of fifth-graders was
the first class to experience the fully-revised
elementary school curriculum, according
to Tucker. The changes allowed students
not necessarily identified as Gifted and
Talented to access accelerated, enriched
pathways, allowing them to take part in
more MCPS advanced courses in elementary school.
In addition, this year was the first in
which every elementary school in Montgomery County offered Math A, the first
mathematics course at middle schools.
These changes resulted in a fifth-grade
class that was more qualified to compete for
spots in the Magnet program, said Tucker.
Principals in elementary schools across
the County were also asked to nominate
students who would not normally apply
to Magnet programs. The principals then
worked with these students and their
parents to ensure that they understood the
application process and were ready for the
entrance exams.
MCPS also contacted Dr. Donna Ford,
the Betts Chair of Education and Human
Development at Vanderbilt University and
an expert on minority achievement in gifted
programs, to help diversify the Magnet
programs by advising MCPS on research
and the types of assessments that give all
applicants an equal chance to succeed.
As a result of Ford’s suggestions, MCPS
published several brochures and pamphlets
informing parents about the Magnet programs, including a test preparation book to
help students become acclimated with the
format of Magnet entrance exams.
As part of the increased outreach, Tucker
spoke before the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People to
inform the organization about the timeline
of the application process.
Such awareness initiatives are geared to
help produce stronger Magnet candidates,
said Tucker. “When you inform parents
about the level of math a student should
have achieved to apply, you’re going to lose
a lot of students in lower classes and gain a
lot of students in higher classes,” she said.
The selection process
The screening procedure for the middle
school Magnets, which Tucker said has not
changed for over five years, involves examination of the following criteria: the teacher
recommendations, grades, test scores,
application essays, student motivation,
participation in Free and Reduced Meals,
geographical location and participation in
the ESOL program.
Tucker said that these categories are
used to compose a “complete picture”
Graphic by Sheila Rajagopal
of a prospective Magnet student so that
students are given a full representation
of their assets, and only the most able are
accepted into the program. “The whole
point is to put those overlapping pieces of
information over one another and come out
with a sense of whether or not the student
is ready for the program,” she said. “We
know that there are certain things that can
mask student strength.”
Thomas Broadwater, the volunteer
coordinator for the AAPMSA, says that
such measures are biased against black applicants. Specifically, Broadwater said that
black students are hurt by teacher recommendations because the teachers are racist
against black students. He cited the fact
that black students are the most suspended
race from elementary school to high school
to support this claim.
He also alleged that the teacher recommendations are the “most heavily weighted” of the selection criteria, but refused to
provide his source for this information.
Tucker later denied this claim.
Community reactions
Broadwater told the BOE that while he is
pleased with the increases in acceptances of
black students, he still wants more changes
to the selection process. “The unexamined
admissions process has been flawed since
the inception of the Magnet,” he said.
Broadwater added that the AAPMSA
has not decided whether or not it will push
MCPS to use an affirmative action policy.
Magnet math teacher Eric Walstein said
that the AAPMSA’s requests reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the learning
process. “If [Magnet students] don’t go
back and study outside of class, they’re
never going to pass Magnet courses,”
he said. “That goes for all kids — black,
white, Asian, Hispanic...my name could be
Socrates, and it wouldn’t matter.”
For an analysis and opinion on the AAPMSA,
see Silver Chips Online at http://silverchips.
mbhs.edu, under “Print Edition.”
2005 Magnet acceptances
Eastern Middle School:
• Asian: 28.5 percent
• African-American: 12.2 percent
• Hispanic: 4.1 percent
• White: 55.3 percent
Roberto Clemente Middle School
(Humanities):
• Asian: 37.6 percent
• African-American: 12.9 percent
• Hispanic: 4.3 percent
• White: 45.2 percent
Information compiled from MCPS acceptance reports
Heightened security Blazer gets seventh at Intel
Students at their lockers before first period on March 23.
Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
from AFTER-SCHOOL page 1
students in the school building
triggered the alarm.
Addison added that the
administration does not want
students to get into the habit of
visiting Blair past school-hours.
“Usually, without Night School,
kids can’t come back in the
building,” said Addison.
Reddick also cited a rise in
locker thefts in March as one of
the major reasons for the recent
crackdown. Additionally, said
Reddick, students who remain
in Blair after school-hours typically litter, increasing the workload for building services.
Although many students
and teachers seem to be unaware of the locker policy, it
has been in place for the past
two years, according to Linda
Wanner, the administrator who
supervises clubs and athletic
activities. She believes the reason why so many are uniformed
is that not all club and athletic
sponsors attended a meeting at
the beginning of the year when
the rule was discussed. “Like
everything else, you put it out
and hope people will follow the
rules,” said Wanner.
Freshman Crystal Morton, a
member of Blair’s Step Team,
sees the rule as a double-edged
sword. During practices, Morton and other members must
now carry their belongings to
the SAC, where the team practices — a benefit in that their
things are there to take home
right after practice, but also a
“pain,” said Morton, because
they now have valuables out in
the open for others to steal.
Senior wins $20,000 scholarship in nationwide search
By CAITLIN GARLOW
Former Magnet student Justin Kovac, who graduated early
in January, placed seventh in
the 2005 national Intel Science
Talent Search (STS) for his project, “The Effects of Warm Core
Rings on Hurricane Intensification in the Gulf of Mexico,” according to an Intel press release
dated March 15. Ten national
winners were chosen from a
group of 40 finalists, among
whom were four Blair students.
Kovac will receive $20,000 in
scholarship money for his investigation of warm pools of water
in the Gulf of Mexico, called
warm core rings, and their interactions with hurricanes. Kovac believes that his findings
are a step in ensuring more accurate predictions of hurricane
strength.
The three other Blair finalists, seniors Michael Forbes, Abigail Fraeman and Sherri Geng,
will each receive $5,000 scholarships and an Intel® CentrinoTM
mobile technology-based notebook computer. In all, Intel STS
winners were awarded $530,000
in prize money.
The Intel STS is the oldest and
most prestigious nationwide science competition, started by the
Science Service in 1942. Competition winners have garnered
over 100 of the most coveted
Justin Kovac’s senior photo.
Photo courtesy of Intel
science and math honors in the
world, including six Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science and 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, according
to an Intel press release.
In the past two years, two
other Blair Magnet students,
Anatoly Preygel and Gordon
Su, were named among the top
10 Intel STS winners.
This year’s first-place winner
was David Bauer of Hunter College High School in New York.
Bauer was awarded a $100,000
scholarship for his research and
development of a method using
“quantum dots” to detect toxic
agents that affect the human
nervous system.
The Intel projects were the
result of years of hard work, exhaustive research conducted by
the students and an extensive
application process. This year,
approximately 1,600 students
applied, 300 of whom were
named semifinalists. Of these,
13 students were from Blair.
Glenda Torrence, Magnet
senior research teacher, was ecstatic about the number of Blair
Intel finalists. “There are no
words to describe it,” she said.
“When we have four [finalists]
out of 40, it says so much for the
[Magnet] program.
Additional reporting by
Grace Harter
8 ADS
April 21, 2005
silverCHIPS
silverCHIPS
NEWS 9
April 21, 2005
Blair Sports Academy seeks funds
Gang prevention effort attracts hundreds of spectators as organizers seek further expansion
from SOCCER page 1
rules,” he said.
To play, students must agree
to a set of rules stipulated by the
BSA, including an agreement not
to wear gang colors or throw gang
signs and to attend tutoring sessions when in need of academic
support. So far, Segura said, these
requirements have not hurt the
program’s popularity. Opening
day was packed, he said. “Around
200 kids were there watching the
teams [and] off the streets.”
Although the league attracts
a large number of students in
English for Speakers of Other
Languages (ESOL), the program is
open to the entire school and aims
to help a wide variety of students.
The road to victory
The BSA indoor soccer
league’s 24 eight-person
teams are divided into
groups A, B and C. The
top four teams in each
group, along with the best
four remaining teams from
the rest of the league, will
enter a single-elimination
tournament for the coveted
BSA championship.
The top two teams in
each group, as of April 18:
• Salvadaron Crew (A)
• Real Madrid (A)
• Los Gringos (B)
• Guasiviris (B)
• Brothers United (C)
• Boca Juniors (C)
To catch up on current
indoor soccer standings,
check out the bulletin board
outside the ESOL office.
“It’s fun because you get to meet a
lot of people you might not even
know,” said senior Abdul Muhktar, a member of team Brothers
United, which reached last year’s
championship match.
Finding the money
The BSA has received a total
of $8,100 to run the soccer league,
which will continue until early
June. The Gang Task Force acquired grants or donations from
organizations including the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; the local business Aquas, Inc.; the Montgomery
County Department of Recreation;
the Blair Student Government
Association; and “Drawing the
Line on Under-age Alcohol Use,”
a countywide program fighting
underage drinking. The Montgomery County Police Department provides an officer to work
security each Monday, Wednesday
and Thursday, when matches take
place in the small gym.
This summer, BSA will expand
to include at least one free summer
camp at Eastern Middle School,
according to ESOL Parent-Community Coordinator and Gang
Task Force member Susan Gardiner. The program will begin as
a 30-person pilot program with 10
at-risk students nominated from
each of Blair’s three feeder middle
schools. The camp will have
three parts: a YMCA-sponsored
program that includes activities
like sports, field trips and swimming; an anti-violence community service project; and the “Get
Real About Violence” classroom
program, which teaches students
about decision-making skills and
avoiding violence. Students will
attend the camp from July 5-29
and will be bussed directly from
summer-school sessions to Eastern for the program. If successful,
Gardiner hopes to increase the
program’s capacity by up to 120
students for summer 2006.
In addition to the summer
camp for middle school students,
the BSA will try to promote education for ESOL parents through
a Latino empowerment course
called “Conquista Tus Suenos”
— “Realize Your Dreams.” The
course, offered with help from
MCPS, would help parents of
students in the BSA learn to improve communication, parenting,
personal goal-setting and family
relationships, according to Stacey
Gurian-Sherman, who is involved
with the program. “Conquista” is
conducted in Spanish and is open
to all parents in the Blair cluster.
The Task Force is currently
working to obtain grants from
smaller non-profit organizations
while it waits for the County
Council to vote on a $25,000 grant.
If the BSA gets the grant, the Task
Force will be able to implement a
second camp — this one for Blazers who would learn about conflict
resolution while participating in
a similar sports program. The
grant would also make possible a
fall 2006 three-on-three basketball
league and the spring 2007 indoor
soccer league. Funds for the 2005
and 2006 soccer league seasons
are already in place.
The $25,000 would help the
BSA significantly, although Segura said the Task Force would
need upwards of $67,000 to run
the program as it was originally
conceived. He noted that reluctance to designate even more
funds to the program probably
exists because it is so new. “When
programs like this start, initially
From left to right: Seniors Walter Lorenzana, Abdoulaye Kaba
and David Flores jump for the ball. Photo by Charlie Woo
people are apprehensive because
they want to see if it will work,”
he said. “Hopefully, this will work
out. I think it will.”
To lobby the County Council
for the $25,000 grant for the Blair
Sports Academy, call
(240) 777-7900.
Blair seeks aid in testing Teen driving restrictions pass
By JOHN SILBERHOLZ
After being put on probation for failing to meet state testing standards for two
consecutive years, administrators have
requested county assistance in improving scores on the Maryland State Assessments (MSA) mandated by the No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
Principal Phillip Gainous decided to
request a county audit of the school’s
procedures to determine how best to
maximize teacher performance and avoid
future Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
failures. “I think the teachers are working
hard, and I think we have a good plan,”
he said. “But because the stakes are so
high, I want someone from [MCPS Central Office] to come in and tell us if we’re
okay or if we must shift efforts so we’re
not wasting energy.”
In a preliminary visit to Blair to survey the learning environment, county
officials, including Associate Superintendent in Charge of Instruction Dale Fulton
and Community Superintendent Stephen
Bedford, visited the school for several
hours, pledging their support to help improve Blair’s performance on standardized tests.
This additional aid provided by the
county will involve an evaluation of
Blair’s curriculum, including close work
with staff development teacher Jennifer
Craft. The county will evaluate Blair’s
plans, suggesting necessary curriculum
improvements and better ways to implement the curriculum if there are no concerns with the material being taught, according to Gainous.
County school systems generally devise their own plans of action for improv-
ing testing scores, which are then sent to
the Maryland State Board of Education
for approval. Then, each school within
that county is responsible for implementing the proposed strategies and for producing passing grades on standardized
tests mandated by state and federal regulations.
However, when schools are unable
to achieve their AYP benchmark and fail
yearly NCLB testing, many avenues of
improvement are still available. While
Blair has chosen to request county advising about passing standardized tests, the
state of Maryland also provides programs
to aid struggling schools.
The state provides program specialists
to individual schools that request assistance in addition to the curriculum specialists at the systemic level who work on
creating countywide plans of action, according to Bill Reinhard, a Board of Education spokesperson.
The job of these advisors is to suggest
possible improvements that can be made
to existing curriculum and teaching procedures at the school. “It comes down to
aligning the curriculum with state standards,” said Reinhard in a telephone interview.
While these specialists are generally
only provided to Title I schools (facilities
with exceptionally low performance and
high poverty that are already receiving
federal funding), Reinhard maintains that
there is “a possibility” that a school like
Blair could receive this assistance, even
though they do not fall under the Title I
categorization.
The other high schools that failed to
meet AYP requirements this year were
Gaithersburg, Kennedy and Sherwood.
By AVI WOLFMAN-ARENT
The Maryland General Assembly recently passed a five-bill legislative package focused on placing restrictions on
teenage drivers. The bills now await approval from Governor Robert Ehrlich before becoming law.
The new legislation includes a measure
that would prohibit new drivers under 18
from driving with other minors; ban cellphone use for drivers under 18; increase
supervised driving hours for those with
learner’s permits from 40 to 60 hours;
extend the minimum time period for minors to hold learner’s permits from four
months to six; and restart the 18-month
provisional license period for any teen
drivers convicted of moving violations,
seatbelt infringements or a violation of
the midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew.
The votes mark a major victory for
proponents of teen auto safety, who have
struggled in the past to advance similar
bills out of the House of Delegates. Many
say that the success of the current package is in part a reaction to the auto-related
deaths of 19 area teens, all of whom died
in car crashes since September 2004.
“I do believe [the crashes] were a huge
wake-up call for those in the Maryland
General Assembly,” said Del. William A.
Bronrott (D-Montgomery) in a telephone
interview. Bronrott sponsored three of
the bills in the package.
Bronrott explained that the measures
are focused on eliminating driver diversions. “These laws are not intended to be
highly punitive. These laws are intended
to send a strong signal that these driver
distractions need to be reduced,” he said.
The most controversial bill would prevent teen drivers from carrying non-family teenage passengers during the first
five months of their 18-month provisional
license. Some legislators expressed concern that underprivileged or rural teens
would be inconvenienced because they
depend on rides from friends.
The package originally included a
sixth measure to revoke for three years
the licenses of those under age 21 caught
under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
However, the bill died in committee.
Ehrlich said he supports the intentions
of the bills but will not say definitively
that he will sign them into law. However, the margin of the current vote in the
House and Senate is significant enough to
override a veto by the Governor.
How do you feel about the proposed teen driving laws?
voiceBOX
County to suggest strategies to raise scores
“If you’re with your
parents, you’re less
likely to do something stupid.”
“Your family
members can be
a distraction
too.”
-junior Sreya Ghosh
-freshman Lenny
Sevilla
Photos by Hannah Rosen
10 ADS
Emma, Ngoclan, Amanda,
& Annie =) you guys are the
greatest. I love you guys like
whoa. Donʼt forget that. Hi
Brian!
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
Hey Camila! Have you read
THE NEWSPAPER lately?!
LOL happy April Foolʼs and
Happy Birthday. Love Yasmin
Happy Birthday Christian.
Oof...photo 3 is crucial...apples Hope you had a great day!
are, too. Poor Fish, sheʼll be
Happy Birthday to Camila on
the lone photo 3 next year.
the 23. 17...wow all grown up.
XOXO5 or something.
Lov ya, Stephanie
Dear Mar- Thanks for the donut...and for last night! – your
lover Suzie
Holler at everyone who made
my birthday amazing. I love
you all! -Rose. P.S. Chris S is a
beast. + Lena
To my homefries: Sanoy,
Lauren, Ananja, Angiz,
Zahra, Yvonne, you all pween!
Matthew + Maxipo, Maxt
HOLLER! I love Kiran Belani,
and Larry will live forever!
sheʼs HOT. HOLLER!!! Love Holler at Pʼs future centerpage! – Queen of Sank
Alexa
Julyssa we know how much
you love “listening” to Tundra/ Hey Matt Wood I think youʼre
Booboo I love you and Iʼll
Desert and going to pine crest.. foxy!
never let you go!
Watch your foot while I P.
see SHOUTOUTS page 12
silverCHIPS
NEWSBRIEFS 11
April 21, 2005
NEWSBRIEFS
We’ve got spirit
DCC alters eighth-grade selection process
Although the final count for Blair’s incoming freshman class
is not final as of April 11, the projected population will be 3,153
students, according to Acting Director for Consortia Initiatives
Ida Louisa Polcari.
There was a cap on Blair’s class of 2009 of 750 students, said Polcari, which is in accordance with MCPS’ commitment to reducing
crowding. Following the confirmation of all 175 Communication
Arts Program and Magnet acceptances to Blair in the next month,
the DCC will have the final count for next year. There are also
some ESOL and special education students who must be included
in the overall count.
Also, according to Blair Academies Coordinator Susan Ragan, 87
percent of eighth graders were given their first choice high school
this school year, as opposed to 95 percent last year.
About 60 students in the DCC have requested to change high
schools next school year. For the 2006-2007 school year, the projected school population is 3,029 students, more than 250 fewer
than this year.
MCPS wins Senate Productivity Award
Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes named MCPS the U.S. Senate
Productivity Award winner during a March 14 luncheon at Johns
Hopkins University, according to The Bulletin, the MCPS newsletter. The award, established in 1982, is given to the organization
or business in the state that best exemplifies a management philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement and the constant
pursuit of excellence.
MCPS is the largest school system to win this level of award in
the 41 states that give a similar award. In the application process,
MCPS had to demonstrate fulfillment of the following criteria: leadership; strategic planning; student, stakeholder and market focus;
measurement, analysis and knowledge management; faculty and
staff focus, process management; and organizational performance
results.
Additional funding proposed for MCPS
County Executive Doug Duncan proposed a $3.6 billion budget
for Montgomery County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 on March 15 that
includes a seven percent increase in MCPS’ finances.
The MCPS Board of Education (BOE) requested about $1.7
billion for FY 2006, $116 million more than was requested for the
current year. Next year’s total spending per student will increase
$812 to $12,267, an all-time high.
About 75 percent of the requested money will come from the
county. The remainder will come from the state of Maryland,
federal funds, tuition, fees and private grants, according to a 2006
MCPS budget report.
With the additional funding, MCPS plans to implement initiatives like reducing class sizes in middle and high schools, increasing
teacher salaries, increasing Advanced Placement enrollment and
developing academies in high schools, according to the budget
report.
The BOE also wants to hire more building service workers and
175 more teachers, including more special education teachers.
However, because Blair will receive about 100 fewer freshmen next
year, it will have to lose one teacher from each academic department, according to English resource teacher Vickie Adamson.
Robberies occur at Blair
A series of thefts against both teachers and students have taken
place at Blair over the past month.
Science teacher Darcy Sloe’s purse was stolen on April 5 and
returned later the same day with $180 missing. Sloe did not realize that the purse had been stolen until another teacher returned
it to her, claiming to have found it behind a toilet in the boys
bathroom in the 350s hallway. In late March, Sloe’s necklace and
science teacher Angelique Bosse’s money were stolen from their
purses as well.
Eight members of the pit orchestra of the spring musical, “Once
Upon a Mattress,” were also robbed on March 10, and senior Max
Czapanskiy’s car was broken into and burglarized on March 11.
None of the perpetrators has been caught, and it is unclear whether
or not the incidents are related.
In the March 10 theft, wallets containing cash, driving permits
and credit cards were among the stolen items, which music teacher
Dustin Doyle said were valued at between $800 and $1,000.
Newsbriefs compiled by Ravi Umarji with additional reporting by
Chris Consolino, Caitlin Garlow, Kristina Hamilton, Seema Kacker
and Danny Scheer.
GUIDANCE CORNER
Resource Counselor Karen Hunt reminds students that they
have until the end of the school year to remove middle school
courses from their transcripts. Some of these courses do not
qualify as Honors courses and will affect their weighted GPAs.
Some important dates include the following:
•Report cards will be distributed today.
•April 22 — Blair Fair and Silent Auction, 5 p.m.
•April 29 — Registration deadline for June 4 SAT I and II
•May 2-13 — Advanced Placement tests administered
•May 6 — Registration deadline for June 11 ACT
•May 7 — SAT I and II administered
•May 11 — Choral Coffeehouse in the SAC at 7 p.m.
•May 18-19 — Senior review days
•May 23-26 — Senior exams
Senior Makonnen Brown and junior Sheldon Sanderson dance in a soul train line at Spirit
Night on April 7. Several Blair bands and clubs also performed. Photo by Hannah Rosen
Inclusion program to expand
New program implemented to meet NCLB guidelines
By KRISTI CHAKRABARTI
As a part of the federal No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requirement, Blair will expand the
inclusion of special education students in general education classes
beginning with next year’s freshman class.
NCLB regulations require students to be taught by “high quality teachers” — defined as teachers who are certified by the state
in the subject area they teach
— according to Virginia Ross, supervisor of the MCPS Division of
School Based Special Education
Services for the Blair cluster. Ross
explained that a number of special
education teachers are only certified to teach special education and
not the core subjects of math, English, science and social studies.
To assure that special education students receive instruction
from high quality teachers, all of
the classes in which they will be
included will have two teachers:
one content teacher and one special education teacher or specialist.
These classes will be co-taught,
where both teachers will conduct
the class, explained Ross.
Ninth-grade English and history will be added to the inclusion program next year. Inclusion
began this year in one section of
Biology, two years ago for Algebra
and four years ago for Geometry.
Biology will be expanded to two
sections next year, and each class
will contain about six or seven special education students, according
to Special Education department
director Lisa Davisson.
Blair’s inclusion program is
part of a national trend that is emphasizing the integration of special education students with the
rest of the school. Montgomery
County was ranked as the fourth
worst in the state for implementing the “least restrictive environment” for special education students, according to the Maryland
State Department of Education.
Special education advocate and
parent of two special education
students, Bob Astrove, attributed
this to the size of the county as
well as economic reasons, since
it is less expensive to have selfcontained classes than to correctly
implement inclusion. However,
within the high schools in Montgomery County, “Blair is leading
the pack,” said Davisson.
For decades, Blair special
education students have been included in art, music and foreign
language classes, and thus far, Davisson is pleased with the success
“[The school] is
forcing us with
inclusion.”
-Jeanne Taylor, parent
of these classes.
The purpose of inclusion is to
benefit special education students
both academically and socially.
Through integrated classrooms,
special education students will
have the opportunity to interact
with a wider population, said
Gwendolyn Mason, Director of the
MCPS Division of School Based
Special Education Services.
However, parents of special
education students and activists
stress that inclusion should be
implemented on an individual
basis because it does not benefit
every kind of disabled student.
“[The school] is forcing us with
inclusion, and it is not open to accommodating,” said Jeanne Taylor, parent of three elementary
school special education students,
one of whom is struggling with
the program.
To ensure that inclusion is tailored to each individual student’s
needs, all students who are in
special education have an annual
review meeting where an Individualized Educational Plan is
developed. At the meeting, the
students’ prospects of success
in inclusion are carefully determined, including which classes
they should take and what supports should be put in place so
that they can be successful in the
least restrictive environment, according to Davisson.
Teachers who will be co-teaching next year have begun training
on teaching strategies. The training sessions, conducted by professionals in the field of co-teaching
and from the county, focus on the
needs of special education students. These strategies included
methods of running the classroom; identifying when a student
is not being successful; functioning with two adults in the room;
and learning the needs of the
students. Both special education
students and the general population will benefit from co-teaching
because the student-to-teacher ratio will decrease and two teachers
will be constantly available to help
the entire class, said Davisson.
Middle schools countywide
have already begun the inclusion
program. Isolating these students
once they arrive in high school is
a poor decision, said English resource teacher Vickie Adamson.
HONORS
• Senior K.J. Bonhomme was named the Montgomery County Forensics Champion in the Poetry category on March 22. Junior David White placed second
in the county in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Juniors Pria Anand, Katherine O’Connor and
Varun Gulati won awards at the National History
Day Competition on March 19 at Julius West Middle
School. Anand and O’Connor will move on to the
state competition at the end of April. Gulati received
$50 in the “Best Use of Oral History.”
• Seniors Nathan Barrymore, Bradford Gee, Luke
Hanlein and Neal Vasilak, junior David White and
freshman Samuel Adeoye were chosen to play in the
Maryland Scholastic Hockey League Academic AllStar Games on March 14.
• Senior John Visclosky received a first-place award
from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for
an entertainment review, and seniors Sheila Rajagopal and Melanie Thompson received second place
awards for an opinion and a feature, respectively.
• Senior Kristina Yang and junior Jody Pollock were
Sweepstakes Winners in the 2005 International Quill
and Scroll competition for the in-depth reporting and
sports story categories, respectively. Seniors Sherri
Geng and Julyssa Lopez and juniors John Silberholz and Samir Paul were National Winners.
12
ADS
from SHOUTOUTS page 10
Word of the day: UCALAGON- A neighbor whose house
is on fire.
Happy B-day Louis and
Also to Prince. Hi to Yasmin,
Stephaine, Stephaine, Edra,
Sophia and Johana. Love you,
Cami
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
PIMPS 4 LIFE, GILLIAN
AND STAVISH REPRESENT THE STRONG HAND.
KOJO, YOU BETTER KNOW
YOUR PLACE, RESPECT
THE BA-DUNK-A-DUNK-ADUNK...
Mel is a sexy rich girl and
Nara is an amazing event planner (for black people at least)
– Suzie the Seducer
One day I met a frog but your
mom was the one I wanted to
hug. So voluptuous, so motherly, so.. YOUR MOM!
Dear Suzie, youʼre welcome
for the donut.
Letʼs go to the beach
Whuz up Danatron, you should Hey Jules! Happy Birthday!
get that ʼ07 crowd live.
Thatʼs craziness! ~Olive
SHOUTOUT TO THE BLAIR
GIRLSʼ LACROSSE TEAM!!
Yay Vicky Dean! HOLLER
Howdy dowdy, diggity donkeyʼs come to town! He wants
to give luv to the uber cool
magnets, CAPʼs, and those
awesome girls that sit outside
of the senior courtyard with
Angie and Clare. :)
I <3 Peter!
see SHOUTOUTS page 14
silverCHIPS
FEATURES
April 21, 2005
Blair Poets
13
Poetry. The tangible expression of thought. Eloquence conveyed with a few well-chosen words. Images brought to
life by metaphors and similes. Like exploring unfa miliar seas, the waters of poetry run deep, their beauty often
concealed beneath waves of a mbiguity. And for these poets, prolific and proficient, filling journals with rhymes,
performing for crowds, publishing poems for all to see — it’s their passion.
By
unior Gillian Couchman finds beauty in the simple arrangement of
words. “People don’t usually notice how pretty [poetry] can be. Teens,
especially, often don’t take the time to appreciate poetry, or they have the
generalization that poetry is boring,” she explains as she tucks a strand of
loose hair behind her ear. Couchman began writing poems about everyday experiences after receiving a journal in sixth grade. She soon found that through
poetry, she could express her thoughts about feelings like love and happiness. Her poem, “Tonight,” conveys this with clarity:
J
ven though senior
Anitra Turner has
a reputation for being silly, her poetry is
no laughing matter. “When it
comes to poetry, people are going to know that I’m Anitra, and I
have talent,” she proclaims. After being inspired by her grandmother’s poetry,
Turner began writing poems about national
issues, as well as less serious poems about everyday life. Even more than writing, Turner
loves to perform. Whereas some poets try
to conceal their meaning beneath metaphors
and figurative language, Turner prefers to be
blunt. “When I say a poem, I like saying the
truth — even if the audience doesn’t want to
hear it,” she says. In an untitled poem that is
both searing and rhythmic, Turner expresses
her frustrations about the state of our nation:
E
“In the ghetto there’s a young man
who has given up hope
he finding his way by selling dope
and yes that’s the way it has to be in
America
the land of the free.”
“I a m satisfied with who I a m, I’m satisfied with my simple life,
my nagging parents and my dra matic teenage problems.
I don’t care about tomorrow or next week, my worries have left me.
tonight everything seems perfect.“
Couchman found an outlet for her growing interest in poetry through
Arts on the Block, a program that provides high school students in Montgomery County with on-the-job training in various forms of the arts. As a
freshman, Couchman was paid to write poems that were then published in
a booklet that was distributed among participants. After contributing to this
program, Couchman began to write more frequently, as this helped to instill
confidence in her writing ability. Building on this experience, Couchman
says she “definitely plans to pursue some form of writing in college.”
he passion for words began at a very
young age for senior Sasha Foreman,
whose mother recited poems to him
before he could read. Since then, Foreman
has had an insatiable desire to “learn everything I can about what interests me, like
languages and poetry.” One of his recent
poems, “Becoming an Émigré,” exhibits this
love of words:
T
Turner views poems as speeches that have
the ability to impact people. “If I change one
kid’s life with a poem, then it’s all worth it,”
she says.
“You hurry down the changing beach
At evening when the vagrant sun
That rides the waves, seeking a shore,
May darken soon...”
or senior Julia Leeman, poetry is about images, colors and appealing to the senses.
Leeman has published several poems in Blair’s
literary magazine, Silver Quill, of which she is
currently layout editor, and has performed at an
open-mic night at Mayorga Coffee House.
She enjoys using symbolism in her writing but, she
says, “not [so] deep and profound that people can’t
access it.” Her poem to be published in this year’s Silver
Quill, “Crusader of Small Things,” begins by describing
an ordinary holiday decoration and then
segues with whimsical imagery into
the speaker’s religious views:
F
Most teenagers don’t share this passion for
poetry, an unfortunate fact that Foreman attributes to “poets who tend to write in a manner that’s ‘unintelligible.’” The meaning of a
poem can often be lost underneath a blanket
of flowery language, he says, making it “hard
to read not only for teens but for anyone.”
Though he has filled
several notebooks with both
his poetry
and other poems
translated
into English from
languages
like Russian and
Spanish,
Foreman doesn’t
have any plans to
perform.
“It’s
not that I’m
afraid
of
hearing
what people think
of what I
have to
say,” he
says, “it’s
just that I
don’t write
poems for
others.
I
write them
because I’d
go insane if
I didn’t.”
“an inflatable snowman
invades the corner of my eye.
a lit
empty
church billboard,
across the street,
mocks me.
I know
there is no god. don’t
tempt me.”
Leeman
feels
that the power of
poetry lies in its
ability to “take little
o b s e r - vations, little pieces of
life, then show you” — she pauses
to smile before adding, “this is really clichéd — beautiful angles of
life.”
ELIZ ABETH PACKER
w o rkshop in middle school opened junior Angela Cumming’s eyes to the wonders of poetry. Since that first taste in eighth
grade, Cummings has filled a journal with poems,
performed at Mayorga’s open-mic night and
participated in Arts on the Block along with
Couchman.
As a writer, Cummings enjoys experimenting
with different forms of poetry. “If I see a new poem
form, I’ll want to try it,” she says. Her current form
of choice is the sestina, a poem with six stanzas and a
complicated rhyme scheme.
She also strives
to avoid more conventional structures: “My poetry
doesn’t make any sense,”
she points out.
“It’s
very abstract.”
While
poetry can take
effort to
understand,
she believes
it
can also be very
therapeutic. “Poetry’s
a form of narcissism
you can share with others,” she explains. “It
reflects yourself, but it
doesn’t have to be blunt.
You can use metaphors to
get your message across,”
she says.
Her poem,
“Old Enough to Know,”
demonstrates this approach:
A
“Gripping onto visions of
life’s strea m with
suffocating flow
The current’s twisted draw
seeping into minds too fatigued to care
Is there a path straight enough
for us to go?”
Ways to celebrate National Poetry Month:
April is National Poetry Month. Regardless of whether or not you know your metaphors from your similes or the
difference between assonance and alliteration, there are plenty of ways for poetry buffs and neophytes alike to celebrate:
Put some poetry in an unexpected place Commit
— Leave a copy of a favorite poem for
someone to find. Try tucking a poem into
a friend’s backpack or include a few lines
for your teacher to find at the end of an assignment — an unexpected poem is sure
to be a pleasant surprise for the lucky
recipient.
a
poem
to
pavement
—
National Poetry Month is all about celebrating poetry, and a great way to do that is to
share it with others. Break out a bucket of
chalk and write a poem on the sidewalk. By
putting a few lines of a favorite poem in a
public place, everyone who passes by will
be exposed to the wonders of poetry.
Check out a poetry book from the library
— Whether re-reading a favorite book of poems or cracking open a volume of sonnets
for the first time, now is a great time to start
reading poetry.
Information compiled from The Academy of American
Poets’ “30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month”
14
ADS
from SHOUTOUTS page 12
This is my last shoutout
forever! Shout out to: Nora,
Kristina, Kiran, Helen, Rashieda, Brittany, Nicole, Patrice,
Brandon, Kelly, Yasmin,
Rachel-Raquel!!!
Holler at Sarah Wolk! She is
the coolest.
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
To all the girls, Nneoma, Jennifer, Deva, Nathalia, Meenakshi, Patrice, Elisha, Aminata,
Brenda, Jenny, Pholy, Agatne,
Alia, Becca, Carrie, Kay,
Erika, Janee, Nancy, Jessica T.,
Jessica Didi, Jessica M., Helen
J., Helen T., Paola, Monique,
Muna, Sati, Elizabeth, Vidushi,
Goldi, Carroll, Chindu,
Amlive, Angel, Slyvia, Jacquelyn, Semira, Saron, Bezawit, Teza, Netsuche, Yasmin,
Maria, and the guys: Kevin,
Lester, Vivin, Roshan, Kiran,
Wagner, Joshua, and Yuriq. My
first and last shoutout!! God
Bless all of you in 2005!!
Silver Chips! Donuts.. ooh.
Holler to Nick! And Ms. Wall,
Chris S, Jack, Stasi, Kendar
the Destroyer, Lena, Walker,
the Hatchet Riders (ride or
DIE!), Ms. McLean, Emmas,
Nathan, UMCP, Ely, Tara,
Elise, Big Lily, Julie, Franklin, and every 05 except Will,
Luke, and their stupid Chalice!
Love, Katie and Lauren!
Shoutout to all the SENIORS!
Weʼre almost outta here!
Shoutout to all the BEARZ,
Aminata, Panna, Simone, and
Clarence. Love, Sheri
I wanna make a shout out to all
ma gurls, specially Marilyn C.
take care pretty Gurl
see SHOUTOUTS page 20
silverCHIPS
FEATURES 15
April 21, 2005
One Blair junior begins his quest to be the next SMOB while still holding onto his sanity
By NORA BOEDECKER
It all started as a challenge.
Student Government Association (SGA) President junior
Sebastian Johnson was in eighth
grade when he saw the Student
Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) debate video. He
turned to his friend and said, “I
can do better.”
“Why don’t you just run
then?” his friend retorted skeptically.
Now he is.
Five years later, Johnson has
beaten out five other Montgomery County students to become
one of two candidates competing
for the position of SMOB. Since
his official nomination on March
15, Johnson has been continuing
a campaign that will culminate in
a countywide election on April 26
and 27. If he wins, Johnson will
become Montgomery County’s
28th SMOB, a student who will
represent MCPS students while
serving as a member of the Board
of Education. Until then, while
juggling schoolwork, Blair SGA
responsibilities and a social life,
Johnson will have to maintain his
sanity while still flashing his winning campaign smile.
The first hurdle
On Tuesday, March 15, Johnson arrives at school wearing a
suit and tie. This day will determine whether Johnson will
be a final candidate for SMOB
and move a step closer to living
up to his eighth grade challenge.
Despite the pressure, he isn’t nervous.
At the Nominating Convention at Northwest High School,
six other students wait to win the
votes of high school and middle
school student government representatives from all around the
county.
At 10:30 a.m., Johnson should
be in his AP World History class
back in Portable 2. Instead, he
is seated on Northwest’s auditorium stage, listening to his opponents deliver their opening statements. When it is Johnson’s turn
to speak, the auditorium bursts
into cheers.
“I’m a little sick,” he begins,
“so if I start coughing during
my speech I hope you’ll forgive
me.”
After Johnson makes it
through his speech, he returns
safely to his seat, more relaxed.
When the convention breaks
for lunch, Johnson makes his
way around the cafeteria. By
this point, all the delegates have
already voted, but he still takes
time to talk to them. A young
student approaches Johnson.
“Hi,” the student says meekly.
“Can I have your autograph?”
Johnson is stunned, unsure
what to say. “Sure, okay,” Johnson says, kneeling down and taking the sheet of paper the student
offers.
“What’s a good message for
the children?” Johnson wonders
out loud. “How about, ‘Stay
cool,’” he decides. After finishing the autograph, he hands the
paper back to the student.
“Now you’re not going to
buy anything online with my
signature, are you?” Johnson
asks. The student giggles and
walks away.
A preliminary vote narrows
the field down from seven to
four candidates. Johnson is one
of the four. After a round of student questioning, two of the four
candidates will be eliminated in a
second and final vote.
“And now,” a student announcer says, “the two candidates that will appear in the 28th
Student Member of the Board
Election on April 27 are Nadia Sicard and” — it is almost
impossible to hear the second
name, as cheers erupt in the
SGA President junior Sebastian Johnson campaigns at Northwest High School during the Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Nominating Convention on March 15. This is the second
consecutive year a Blair student has been on the SMOB ballot. Photo by Hannah Rosen
auditorium — “Sebastian Johnson!” Though the nomination is
a victory for Johnson, the race to
be SMOB has just begun.
Lights, camera, action!
The first step for Johnson: the
debate video. On Monday, March
21, Johnson leaves school at 11:35
a.m. and walks to the bus stop on
University Boulevard. If he wins,
Johnson says, he is going to have
to learn how to drive.
At 1 p.m. Johnson finally arrives at the Carver Educational
Center in Rockville, where the
video will be filmed. Sicard is
already there, along with current SMOB and Magruder High
School senior Sagar Sanghvi, who
will be mediating the debate.
The video debate will be in
a question-and-answer format,
with each candidate having one
minute to answer each question.
The questions are prerecorded by
students all over the county, and
the candidates will watch them
on a monitor in the studio.
After a brief meeting, each
candidate gets to practice his
or her closing statement before
getting into the studio. Johnson
goes through his, and then Sicard
has her turn.
“So vote for me, Nadia Sicard for Student Member of the
Board,” she finishes.
“Don’t vote for Nadia!” Johnson says jokingly from behind
her. She turns to him and sticks
out her tongue.
Finally, it is time for Johnson,
Sicard and Sanghvi to enter the
studio for the filming.
“Guys, there’s no stopping on
this,” the director calls over the
loudspeaker. The video would
be live-to-tape. Whatever happened, happened. There would
be no redos or second chances.
The pressure was on.
“Stand by... Three, two, one,
cue,” the director says.
Sanghvi starts, “It is now my
pleasure to introduce the two
candidates for Student Member
of the Board...”
After several rounds of
questions, the video draws to
a close, and Johnson and Sicard give their closing statements. When they finish, there is
see SMOB page 21
Generation ‘N’: outside races and the N-word
By ERIC GLOVER
Nigger: usu. taken to be offensive — a black
person.
The dictionary definition of the word
has yet to catch up. When nigger dusted
off its -er and became the new-and-improved nigga, the meaning of the word
was no longer black and white. Now some
blacks have spun the slur into a borderline compliment, a change so drastic that
it would parallel faggot becoming friend,
honky becoming homeboy or spick becoming pal. Forty years after the Civil Rights
Movement, the most incendiary slur in
American history is now interchangeable
with guy, buddy or even brother.
However, an emerging double standard
insists that blacks are the sole legitimate users of the word. To some blacks, no other
races — especially whites — should be
allowed to use nigga. Others seem to have
changed that ultimatum and accepted the
newest face of the N-word phenomenon:
Non-blacks in Blair, especially Latinos,
are casually using the word in everyday
language.
Outside use of the N-word wouldn’t
be possible if it weren’t for the cultural
factors that have begun to suggest its acceptability in today’s society. The transition
of nigger from negative to positive is due
in part to the tendency of marginalized
groups to empower themselves with a slur
rather than become victim to it, according
to Harvard professor Randall Kennedy,
author of “Nigger: The Strange Career of a
Troublesome Word.” Just as some lesbians
refer to themselves as dykes or some poor
whites refer to themselves as rednecks, many
blacks have come to refer to themselves on the meaning of its context in society.
as niggas, Kennedy says. Taking that cue, Kennedy touches on whites in Detroit who
many rap artists now use the word as refer to themselves as niggers and Asian
Americans in San
positive self-identiFrancisco who call
fication, while black
themselves niggas
comedians such as
to illustrate when
Dave Chappelle
the word is not
and Chris Rock use
necessarily used
the word for comein a racist fashion
dic purposes.
among some groups
Culturally, the
of people.
load has lightened
Senior Jeremy
on nigger. “In an
Romero maintains
earlier time in
that there is no racAmerican life,” Kenism involved when
nedy said in a phone
he uses the phrase.
interview, “‘nigger’
He is no stranger to
or its variation was
the word because
so overwhelmingly
used as a racist put- “Nigger: The Strange Career of a Trou- of his exposure to
down that I don’t blesome Word,” by Randall Kennedy, it on so many levthink there was real- tells the history of the controversial els. Romero, whose
family is from Honly space left for other word nigger. Photo by Charlie Woo
duras, uses nigga
uses. Although it’s
still used as a racist putdown, other alterna- comfortably among friends. His cousin
and brother use the word as slang. And at
tive uses have a bit more space.”
school, his black and Hispanic friends use
the word frequently. He even has a white
Beyond black
friend who does. “It’s just something you
That space is probably why senior Luis say,” Romero explains.
Romero listens to Tupac, Biggie and LudMorataya has no qualms saying, “What’s
up, nigga?” to his friends in the hallway. acris — only a few of the black rappers who
Morataya doesn’t see being Latino and regularly use nigga in their lyrics. Another
using the N-word as mutually exclusive. such rap artist, Ja Rule, paired with Latina
Instead he uses nigga as a friendly phrase sensation Jennifer Lopez in 2001 to make
to greet his buddies, and not just his black the hit single, “I’m Real.” But an uproar
followed when some black listeners found
ones.
that Lopez used nigga in her lyrics.
Morataya asserts, “It’s just a word.”
Yet a number of Blair’s black students
To a certain extent, Kennedy agrees. In
“Nigger,” he writes that the N-word takes don’t take offense at outside use of the
word. Romero’s mild “nigga” habit has
never bothered one of his best friends,
senior Makonnen Brown, despite the fact
that Brown is black. “I don’t really take it
too seriously, ’cause that’s my man,” Brown
says of Romero.
Gary Jeanty, a black senior, has reached
a similar level of comfort with some of his
non-black friends who use the word. “For
me, when I’m around friends, it’s cool,”
he says.
Senior Sheri Lawal, another black
student, is not as comfortable hearing the
phrase spoken offhandedly. “No matter
how you pronounce it or spell it, it still
has a derogatory meaning,” she says. She
does admit, however, that hearing a black
person use the word is easier to handle
than hearing a person of a different race
do so.
Nigger’s scars
But any use of the word nigger is painful
to hear for English resource teacher Vickie
Adamson, who is black. Regardless of
pronunciation or racial context, the word is
still offensive to her. “Just keeping the word
alive, that’s the problem,” she says.
Adamson has been called nigger in the
past, -er intact. She feels strongly that the
word is not one that should be used lightly
and equates the usage with ignorance. “I
think students should be a lot more selfaware about language and what language
means,” she says. “The word had its place
in history, and now we need to move beyond it.”
see N-WORD page 21
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
health under the influence
Dining out with Blair’s
McAddicts
c h i
p s presents...
BY Karima Tawfik
Girls drink
to mask
insecurities
k
g
Servin
It
silverCHIPS
CENTERSPREAD
wee
a
s
r
e
Blaz
f
o
%
37
operates in over 117 countries and is the largest owner of retail property worldwide. It’s
one of the nation’s largest toy distributors and
has more playgrounds than any other private
company in the country. Its mascot is recognized by 96
percent of American schoolchildren, second only to Santa
Claus. And it stuffs 47 million people a day with fries,
Cokes and Big Macs.
McDonald’s has become a stark image of Americanism, appearing on virtually every major intersection in
the country. The McDonald’s corporation opens roughly
five new restaurants per day, and already there are nine
within a three-mile radius of Blair, one of which stands
just across the street, its golden arches enticing students
every day after school. Despite recent criticism of fastfood franchises in the best-selling book “Fast Food Nation” and in the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Super Size Me,” many Blazers still regularly opt to
ignore alarming health risks for the temporary satisfaction of a juicy double cheeseburger with fries.
tion of an afternoon at McDonald’s make
these possible health risks an easy pill to
swallow.
Would you like fries with that?
Freshman Surica Spencer has been going
to McDonald’s every day since her first week
at Blair because the restaurant “is fast, it’s
cheap and it’s close.”
McDonald’s opened its Four Corners location in 1998, around the same time that
new Blair opened its doors to students. As
Schlosser writes in “Fast Food Nation,”
“America’s schools now loom as a potential
gold mine for companies in search of young
customers.”
Four Corners is a jackpot; it has reeled in
and maintained a continuous group of loyal
Blazer customers. “Coming here is like an
addiction,” Marcial says. “The first day you
come, it becomes a habit.”
From left to right: Sophomores Christine Douglas, Daniela Rosales, Beatriz Medina, Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth
Brenowitz believes this habit does not
qualify as addictive in the physiological Morales enjoy their favorite McDonald’s treats at the Four Corners restaurant. Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
sense. “People are not addicted to food.
made me sick yet. I’ll worry about it when I’m old,” he
to McDonald’s.”
“As long as it tastes good”
Without fast-food, they will not go through
says. Brenowitz points out, however, that breaking eating
withdrawal,” she says.
habits is difficult: Poor eating habits as a child often lead
The cost of the dollar Menu
“Man, I don’t even want to think about what’s in it,”
But with cost added to the equation, the habit of going
to poor eating habits as an adult.
says sophomore Abe Holbrook as he takes another bite of to McDonald’s is difficult to break. When senior Anitra
Teens, Brenowitz believes, should take more responCalories, along with the sheer volume of food availhis McChicken sandwich amidst a table covered in yellow Turner applied for a job at McDonald’s this winter, she besibility for their diets; fast-food restaurants are not solely
wrappers. “As long as it tastes good.”
came one out of eight Americans to work for McDonald’s able at cheap prices, has turned the U.S. into a breeding
at fault. “The bottom line is, you are making a conscious
Ignorance is bliss, and that’s the position most Blazers at some point in their lives, according to Schlosser. For ground for obesity. The U.S. has the highest obesity rate
decision to go to McDonald’s after school,” she says.
take while munching on their McNuggets and downing her, the Dollar Menu was the most attractive aspect of the of any industrialized nation in the world: More than half
Junior Tara Huang agrees; Huang cannot recall the
their ketchup-drenched fries. According to an informal franchise. “We’re teenagers! We can’t go buy fancy, ex- of American adults and a quarter of American children
last time she ate at McDonald’s. She says, “[McDonald’s
Silver Chips survey conducted on April 6, 37 percent of pensive food from the grocery store,” she says. “So we go are overweight.
Fast-food restaurants are partly responfood] is like a heart attack in a box.”
Blazers had eaten McDonald’s in that past
sible, says Brenowitz, because of their “caloweek.
rie-dense” menus. A double cheeseburger,
At a full table in the Four Corners Mcmedium fries and a medium Coke totals to
Donald’s, sophomore Rawly Marcial sits
1,020 calories — about half of the healthy calwith a gregarious group of friends, finishorie intake for an average adolescent girl. A
ing off his second double cheeseburger and
single Chocolate Triple-thick Shake contains
the last drops of his Coke. Marcial is a loyal
1,160 calories.
customer of McDonald’s; he’s been coming
Since Turner became employed at Mcevery day since the beginning of his freshDonald’s, she has become more leery of the
man year. While he recognizes that the food
obesity that sometimes follows a regular fastis by no means healthy, he is not too worried
food diet. “I see overweight people come
about the immediate consequences. “If the
into McDonald’s every day,” says Turner. “I
food’s approved by the FDA, it can’t make
don’t want to look like that. I want my body
you sick,” he reasons. That said, Marcial still
to be shaped.”
prefers not to know what’s in his burger: “If I
Now when she eats dinner at work, she
knew what was in it, I probably wouldn’t eat
makes sure to buy salads. However, when
it,” he admits.
eaten with dressing, these salads can contain
A typical fast-food hamburger can conjust as many calories as a Quarter Pounder,
tain beef from hundreds of separate cattle
Most fast-food burgers, chicken, fries and
according to Schlosser.
blended together to ensure taste consistency
buns are frozen when they arrive at the
Fast-food meals mean not only extra
in restaurant locales across the nation, acrestaurant.
pounds but also much less nutritional value,
cording to a published interview by CBS with
since they often replace essential fruits and
Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation.”
Vegetarians beware: McDonald’s french fries
vegetables in a teen’s diet. Lacking such
This process ups the risk of getting sick; just
derive some of their flavor from “unnamed
nutrients, adolescents face a greater chance
one contaminated piece of meat can end up
animal products.”
of acquiring cancer and heart disease in the
in several hamburgers.
long-term, says Brenowitz. With teens now
Also, the high levels of fat and sodium
The average adult eats three hamburgers per
drinking twice as much soda as milk (roughthat are often a staple of fast-food meals often
week.
ly 56 gallons of soda per person annually),
raise cholesterol levels and blood pressure
among customers, according to University of Clockwise from bottom left: Sophomores Charles Nance, Mathew Bum- osteoporosis is a growing menace.
Information compiled from Eric
Graphic by
But threats of remote health problems are
Maryland Dietician Program Director Nancy bray, Peter Cadet and Maurice Fuller savor juicy burgers and fatty fries at
Schlosserʼs “Fast Food Nation”
Arianna Herman
no deterrent for Marcial. “Fast-food hasn’t
Brenowitz. But for most Blazers, the satisfac- the Four Corners McDonald’s after school. Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
Did you know?
Where only first names appear, names have
been changed to protect the identities of the
sources.
Her
vision is blurred,
her steps are off-balance and her mind
is racing from one
fleeting thought to the next. After a few
swigs of the bottle, she is ready.
With the fit of butterflies at the pit of
her stomach now suppressed by the rum
pumping through her bloodstream, Sally
boldly walks up to her crush at a party
during her sophomore year and throws
an arm around his shoulders, initiating a
conversation even though they have
never spoken before.
Sally, now a junior, is usually
reserved, but alcohol provides her
with a confidence that she doesn’t
usually possess when sober.
Like Sally, many other selfconscious female Blazers are
using alcohol to mask their insecurities and feel uninhibited.
This burgeoning culture of
“girls who are not alcoholics�‘yet’
but who routinely use booze as a
shortcut to courage, a stand-in for
good judgement and a bludgeon for
shyness,” as Koren Zailckas writes
in her memoir, “Smashed: Story
of a Drunken Girlhood,” is catching on. This gravitation towards
drinking reflects a national trend:
According to a July 2004 report by
the Center of Alcohol Marketing
and Youth (CAMY), an organization that studies alcohol trends, the
gender gap in underage drinking
has reversed; young girls are now drinking more than underage boys.
Additionally, girls are using alcohol’s
freeing effects as a shortcut to comfort
in sexual situations, reveals Elizabeth
Armstrong in “The new face of underage
drinking: teenage girls,” a recent article in
“The Christian Science Monitor.”
By abusing alcohol in these ways, Sally
has joined the expansive culture of teenage girls who feel they need alcohol to act,
say or do things that they would ordinarily be too self-conscious to do when sober.
For a growing number of female drinking
devotees, alcohol is playing a significantly
larger role in their lives than in those of
previous generations.
“An excuse to be slutty”
Sally, a self-described “shy person,” has
used alcohol as a substitute for confidence
in social situations since her freshman
an in-depth look
at harmful habits
Drowning
fear with
beer
By Katherine
Duncan
year. For her, alcohol is a passport to temporary happiness, popularity and self-assurance. While more comfortable around
boys now, Sally admits to initially relying
on alcohol to fraternize with a crush or to
talk to someone she didn’t know. “The
second boy I ever kissed was while I was
drunk. It wasn’t a good relationship, just
a drunken hook-up situation,” she says.
“Drinking made everything a lot easier for
me, but the relationship wasn’t based on
anything real, just alcohol.”
Jasmine, a junior, can also attest to using alcohol as a way to interact with boys
since it lowers inhibitions, making a situation less awkward. “Hooking up with
boys is so much better when you’re
drunk. You’re not self-conscious
in sexual scenarios. It’s almost
like an excuse to be slutty,”
she says. “You can always
say later on, ‘Oh, that
doesn’t matter because
I was drunk.’” For many
girls, alcohol allows them to act
on their sexual instincts without
ruining their reputation or being
labeled a “slut” or “whore.”
The new majority
Any benefits of abusing alcohol
this way, however, are outweighed
by the potential of serious psychological problems that can surface,
says Loren Rothstein, an employee
at Orchid, a women-only rehabilitative center in Florida. “The main
problem is that [these girls] don’t
know how to tell people what
they are really feeling,” she says.
“They’re not comfortable in their own
skin.”
This social unease, when combined
with
the
“enormous
pressure to have sex,”
writes Armstrong in
“The new face of underage drinking,” is often a major reason why girls drink. “The
push to be sexy often goes hand in
hand with the pressure to drink...
Alcohol goes beyond being a tool
of seduction, promising empowerment [and] liberation.”
The current generation of teen
girls seems to embrace the fact that
drinking has become more socially acceptable for them, and they are drinking more
alcohol than ever. Realizing this, advertisers have recently begun targeting these
girls with enticing magazine ads. Accord-
ing to CAMY, girls in 2002 aged 12 to 20
saw nearly twice as many magazine ads
for low-alcohol refreshers than women
over 21. Teenage girls’ exposure to magazine ads for these refreshers — sugary
concoctions commonly referred to as “alcopops” or “malternatives” — increased
by 216 percent between 2001 and 2002.
These sexually suggestive ads featuring scantily-clad women employ tempting slogans such as “Bad girls make good
company” that reinforce teenage girls’ tendencies to use alcohol to ease into sexual
situations.
Drunken friendships
While the media has a powerful influence over girls, fellow teenage girls can be
an enormous source of pressure as well.
A girl’s choice to drink is often influenced
by whether her friends do, according to a
study released by the National Institutes
of Health in 2003. This research has shown
that girls often begin drinking to endear
themselves to other girls and are in turn
twice as likely as boys to succumb to peer
pressure to drink.
During Kara’s sophomore year, she had
friends who didn’t drink, and she eventually drifted apart from them. “The one
thing that my current group of friends has
in common is that we like to party,” she
says. Many of their conversations
are spent discussing the past
weekend’s alcohol-blurred
events or planning a party
for the next opportunity to
drink. “It’s not that I don’t
like [my old friends] anymore because they don’t
drink; it’s just that we
don’t have enough in
common and can’t
talk about the same
things.”
This casual use of
alcohol as a social passageway can lead to
unhealthy relationships
and ineffective coping
skills, says Rothstein. The
growing culture of teen
girls who rely on alcohol
is alarming experts across
the country, who are concerned with the self-image and development of
these girls.
“It all starts with self-esteem,” Rothstein says. “If you’re okay with you, then
you’ll have no fear of rejection.”
Photo illustration by Hannah Thresher
18 FEATURES
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
Blazers opting out of parenthood
Unplanned pregnancies bring students to consider abortion and rethink their futures
By JULYSSA LOPEZ
Where only first names appear,
names have been changed to protect
the identities of sources.
Catherine, a senior, doesn’t
remember much about that afternoon last Dec. 16. She arrived at
the clinic with her boyfriend and
best girlfriend, her heart pounding with fear and apprehension.
Lying back on the white bed,
her boyfriend consoling her quietly, she was put to sleep. Hours
later, Catherine opened her eyes
to a blurred daze. She recalls
nothing except the aching of her
stomach — and how she immediately burst into tears.
Catherine had just had an
abortion. She is, however, not
the only local teen to have gone
through the emotionally and
physically painful procedure;
currently, Maryland holds the
third highest teen abortion rate
in the country, surpassed only
by Washington, D.C., and New
York. The problem has even
been acknowledged at Blair:
Last month, administration
held its first health assembly
for freshmen girls to discuss the
costs that come with the decision to have sex, including unplanned pregnancies that may
end in abortion.
For Catherine, however,
the assembly came too late,
six months after an unplanned
pregnancy turned her world upside down and led her to make
one of the most painful decisions of her life.
Too hard, too fast
Though Catherine dated
her boyfriend, Eric, in middle
school, the two did not start a
serious relationship until her
sophomore year of high school.
After a few months of dating,
Catherine fell hard. “The attraction was so strong, and he treated me so well,” she says. Seven
months later, she made “probably the most important decision
in a girl’s life.” She lost her virginity.
Allie Harper, Director of
Potomac
Reproductive
Center, says such feelings
of intense infatuation
are typical in adolescents, often leading
them to make rash
decisions. “They
can sometimes fall
too fast, too hard
and make decisions on
emotional impulse,” she
explains. “And most
of the time, they are
so young, they’re not
mature enough to
be able to handle
the repercussions
of their decision.”
Suzanne,
a
sophomore, admits
this was the case for
her. “I think I was
doing things too
fast without thinking,” she says. “I
thought I loved
him, but I didn’t
really know
what I was
doing.”
But Catherine believed
she knew exactly what she was
doing, and she
soon got on birth control without her parents knowing. Last
October, Catherine switched to
the birth protection shot DepoPrevera. “We got looser with
using condoms [afterwards],”
she admits. However, the two
continued sleeping together. “It
felt right. I mean, I love this guy,
so why not? The romance was
like a dream.”
However, a missed period at
the end of October slowly turned
her dream into a nightmare. “At
first it was like, ‘Okay, body, not
funny. Where’s my period?’”
She says. “But then it was like,
‘Oh [expletive]. This can’t be
happening.’”
A trip to a Rite-Aide pharmacy jolted her more. “The second
line on the pregnancy test was
kind of blurry, so I kept thinking,
‘This isn’t real, it’s just a mistake,’” Catherine says. “I wasn’t
thinking realistically.”
It was the final stop — a trip
to the Planned Parenthood
Clinic — that slammed
Catherine back to reality.
“The nurse came in, and
she was like, ‘It’s right.
You’re
pregnant,’”
Catherine remembers. “And I knew
she was going to
say it right before
she did, because
deep down, I knew it
was true.”
Catherine
learned
later
that her body
had rejected the
Depo-Prevera
she had been
injected with,
and she had
been
having
unprotected sex
for weeks.
Reactions
like Catherine’s
are very typical in teenagers with
unplanned
pregnancies, according to Harper. “Generally
you have rage,
upset and depression.
They
think about all the other
choices they have, from adoption to keeping the baby. But
most girls can’t do that. Then
they often consider the option of
abortion.”
Making the decision
For Catherine, the decision
to have an abortion was one she
would have never previously entertained. Raised in a religious
household, with a Bible by her
bedside and a crucifix on her
wall, Catherine was taught to see
abortion as a sin. “My parents
are both extremely Catholic,” she
says, “so I’d always thought I’d
be a virgin until I got married,
and I was like, ‘How could you
kill a fetus living in you?’”
However, after losing her virginity and learning of her pregnancy, Catherine says her original beliefs started fading. She
and Eric began to discuss the
possibility of abortion. “After
talking to him, I realized I could
never be ready for a baby. How
am I going to raise a baby when
I’m still growing myself? Hell
no,” she says. The two concluded that abortion was the best option. “It hurt so bad,” she says
of the decision. “But we both decided it was our only choice. We
couldn’t keep the baby, and who
knows what would happen to it
if it got adopted?”
For Suzanne, deciding on
abortion was an easy choice.
When she found out she was
pregnant, her mother advised
her it would be best to abort the
fetus. “We really had no choice,”
Suzanne says. “Me and my boyfriend weren’t together anymore,
and I couldn’t keep a baby by
myself. Plus, if I was going to
do adoption, I’d have to wait
the nine months and go through
the pain. Me and my mom both
knew I couldn’t do it, mentally or
emotionally.”
At the end of November,
Catherine dialed the Reproductive Center’s number in Hyattsville, Maryland, and explained
her situation. When she arrived
with Eric a week later to do paperwork, she lied about her age,
saying she was 18. Then she
see ABORTION page 22
Marisol Cortez: pursuing an American dream
By CHELSEA ZHANG
Building services worker Marisol Cortez had almost finished her senior year of
high school in El Salvador when her results for a career path test came back. Her
friends jumped, clapped and cheered as
she told them the test’s recommendations
for her: journalism and law enforcement.
Eight years later, Cortez, 26, is still following the same dream. After going to
college in El Salvador, she immigrated to
Maryland in 2000 and got her job at Blair.
She has taken night classes at Montgomery College for the past two and a half
years. Every day of sweeping, scrubbing
and stuffing trash cans helps her make
ends meet, cover next semester’s tuition
costs and pay medical bills for her father
in El Salvador, who battles cancer. And,
slowly but surely, every night of classes
brings her closer to her time-tested goal of
becoming a law enforcement officer.
“My dream is to get to be FBI or be a
judge,” says Cortez. She has already decided the next steps in her career path:
graduating from Montgomery College in
two years and getting a degree in criminal
justice at the University of Maryland.
But for now, Cortez must deal with the
rigors of her 8-to-4:30 job. Every day, she
sweeps five hallways and tidies up half of
the third floor after school. She has the
formidable task of cleaning the bathrooms
in the 160s hallway, the “worst bathrooms
in the building” because students leave
them a mess after lunch, says Building
Services Manager Quentin Middleton.
Four nights a week, Cortez puts a long
day of maintenance at Blair behind her
and heads to Rockville for class. She takes
an English and a reading course, both for
non-native speakers.
Right now though, she’s on her 5A
lunch duty shift, doing litter patrol. She
determinedly strides over to the nearest
trash can, grasps its handle in a latexgloved hand and wheels it to a table. Into
the garbage go newspapers, chocolate
pudding, a Snickers wrapper and pink
marshmallows. A student looks up, surprised to see Cortez snatch and trash his
orange peels.
Dealing with grimy garbage is a necessary part of a necessary job that provides
Cortez with the money to help pay for her
father’s doctor and medicine. She and her
four siblings support him financially and
emotionally, calling once or twice a week.
Before Cortez moved to Maryland, her
father lived in the U.S. with her sister, and
Cortez came up to visit several times before deciding that she belonged here. “I’m
the type of person that likes to always
have something new, something different.
So one day I told my mom I’m going to
stay [in the U.S.],” says Cortez.
Cortez still misses her hometown,
Nueva San Salvador, for the year-round
temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees
and the lack of humidity. Every Friday
during her college years, she went to
the beach La Libertad, a mere 20-minute
trip away. Unsurprisingly, when Cortez
moved to the U.S., weather was one of the
two most difficult changes for her.
The other was English. The English
classes she took in El Salvador did not
prepare her for the strange pronunciation,
convoluted grammar rules and confusing
Building services worker Marisol Cortez cleans up trash after school. She is currently working to graduate from Montgomery College. Photo by Charlie Woo
idioms she would encounter in the U.S.
She had difficulty navigating the roads,
finding a job and expressing herself.
Although Cortez feels she has made
significant progress, she realizes that her
speech still belies her foreignness. “I will
never pretend to speak like an American
speaker,” she says. Cortez takes opportunities to improve her English, looking
up unfamiliar words in the dictionary and
reading in her free time.
In El Salvador, her mother was her
main motivation, “always pushing” her.
Now, she relies on self-motivation to propel herself toward her goals. “You give
yourself your opportunity,” she says.
She is in control of her own education.
On her to-do list are learning a third language and improving her computer skills.
Only lack of time and money prevent her
from taking more courses each semester.
Because Montgomery College does not
accept credits from her college in El Salvador, Cortez needed to spend extra time
retaking math classes. Yet her outlook on
her future remains positive. “Doing it
again is a pain. It’s like you repeat a year
in high school. But that’s okay; I’m not
frustrated. I’m taking my time,” she says.
“Life is like that.”
silverCHIPS
FEATURES
April 21, 2005
A different kind of boy
19
For one autistic senior, the world
operates on a different plane
Each day at school, senior Alex
Mont eats lunch by himself in
room 310, three floors above the
noise and chaos of the student
cafeteria. He has been eating
the same lunch every day for the
past 10 years: a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich, grapes, carrots and
cookies. In the quiet room, he
pores over his math homework,
sometimes smiling over a particularly hard problem.
There are two floors between
Alex and the crowded cafeteria
below, but in many ways entire
worlds separate him from the
noisy students downstairs.
Alex has Asperger’s Syndrome,
a high-functioning form of autism.
Asperger ’s is characterized by
repetitive routines, peculiarities in
speech and socially or emotionally
inappropriate behavior, according
to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children with Asperger’s
often have problems reading social cues; some exhibit exceptional
talent in a specific area.
Many people perceive autistic
individuals to be severely disadvantaged and isolated because
of their condition. For Alex’s
parents, adapting to their son’s
condition has caused them to realize that though his world is often
different from theirs, it comes with
its own set of advantages — and
that autism is not a separate characteristic of Alex but an integral
part of who he is.
A math wonder boy
Alex spent four years trying to
learn the meaning of a smile. His
teachers used flash cards to help
him memorize different facial
expressions — a grin for joy and a
frown for sadness. For five years,
specialists worked to teach him
how to have a conversation. And
yet during these elementary school
years, he raced through multiple
square roots and transcendental
numbers, mastered concepts in
calculus and discovered shortcuts
to equations that Harvard graduates failed to find.
At first, Alex’s teachers were
reluctant to instruct him in social
skills, claiming he was merely
a victim of
uneven development.
His obvious talent
seemed to
contradict
a need for
special assistance: Alex
was one of
seven fourth
graders out
of 85,000
students to ace the U.S. Math
Olympiad. The following year,
he finished second in a national
math talent search. But as early
as first grade, it became apparent
that he would not develop social
skills on his own.
As a child, Alex expected life to
function like a math equation: systematically and logically. In the
social world, there are exceptions
to every rule, and Alex would
have a “meltdown” each time
a rule was broken, according to
Alex’s father, Daniel Mont. Alex
desperately wanted the world to
be structured; if one rule could
be broken, then every rule could
be broken, which meant that the
world descended into chaos.
During meltdowns, he would
scream and cry, hide under desks
and throw himself to the floor.
His parents remember taking him
to a speech therapist because of
a “constant whine” in his voice.
By Olivia Bevacqua
The therapist told them that the
tension in Alex’s voice was not his
natural voice; Alex was simply in a
near-perpetual state of stress.
“[For Alex] as a child, the world
was nothing short of frightening,”
says Nanette Goodman, Alex’s
mother. “But as he got older, all of
it relaxed. Once he understood the
world, he could live in it.”
Daniel and Goodman have
done their best to teach Alex the
ways of the neurologically typical,
in hopes that he’ll be able to ease
himself into the social world with
fewer problems. “You have to
pick your battles,” says Goodman.
“I mean, it would be nice if Alex
always made eye contact when
speaking to you, and if he always
said ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ But
it’s more important that he doesn’t
start playing with your shirt.”
Social immunity
No one ever wanted to be
Alex. Throughout elementary
school, says Daniel, children
were awed by Alex’s brilliance
but didn’t envy the invisible
walls that seemed to follow him
wherever he went. He cried for
reasons they didn’t understand,
rarely recognized people he’d
been in school with for years and
would hide under tables when
frustrated. Today he never cries
in class, but he panics when he
hears loud noises and struggles
to understand social cues.
He still has no friends his age.
People don’t understand or
even pity his social situation. But
if you ask Alex, they’ve got it all
wrong.
“Just because [people with
Asperger’s] might seem socially
out of the mainstream doesn’t
necessarily mean that we’re stupid
or incompetent or don’t understand,” he says. “It could mean
that we don’t value social interaction in the way that other people
do, or that there are certain aspects
of social interaction we’ve decided
to reject.”
In middle school, students
bullied Alex by tripping him in
the hallways, harassing him in the
locker room and throwing rocks
at him. The
bullying had
no emotional impact,
says Alex
— it was just
a physical
hassle that
he dealt with
by speaking
to teachers.
People who
seek peer
approval
would have been too self-conscious to ask for help, he says. He
wasn’t. In this regard, he believes
Asperger’s is an advantage.
In ninth grade, Alex joined a
support group for teens with social
difficulties so that he could learn
about the values of friendship.
The rejection stories he heard were
“horrific,” he remembers. “I only
half-jokingly remarked, ‘Well,
if trying to make friends is this
dangerous, then it’s a good thing
I didn’t get started too early!”
“I thought of a way to describe
my attitude about this,” he says,
a smile creeping across his face.
“Life is like a computer game,”
he begins. “Mine’s just better because it has a single-player mode.”
He collapses with laughter, grabbing his head and rocking back
and forth.
After a minute, he collects
himself. “Wait, scratch out ‘better’ and put in ‘different.’ It’s not
Above: Senior Alex Mont takes a moment to look out the window during his American Studies
class. Below left: Alex figures out a complicated calculus problem. Photos by Adam Schuyler
about better or not better; there’s
benefits to having friends too. I
guess my point is that not having
friends is not something to be
ashamed of — it’s just a different
approach.”
Alex’s unique attitude toward
life has constantly forced his
parents to re-evaluate the way in
which they saw the world, says
Goodman. She remembers visiting Alex’s elementary school and
seeing all the kids playing with
friends while Alex ate by himself.
“It breaks your heart,” she says.
“Alex doesn’t crave that sort of
bonding. I still don’t really deep
in my heart get it.”
“Um, who are you?”
Standing before his government class on March 23, Alex is
dressed up to give a presentation.
Yet even in professional attire, his
appearance betrays that to him,
image is irrelevant. The shirt is
untucked, and beneath his dress
pants are a pair of tennis shoes.
His hair sticks out in a few odd
places.
He asks a question, then calls
on his classmates. “Uh...” He
struggles to remember the name.
“That guy back there.” Another
hand is raised. “Um, who are
you...” The girl raising her hand
gave a half-hour presentation
at the beginning of the period.
A minute later, he confuses the
names of two classmates.
Since childhood, Alex has
had difficulty recognizing faces.
In second grade, he mistook a
classmate for his brother. When
his mother asked if he could recognize her in a line-up of women,
he said, “It would depend on what
Daniel writes. “How do you
explain it to someone who honestly, completely cannot relate
to judging people by the color
of their skin?” As a child, Alex
was shocked to learn that there
has never been a female U.S.
president.
Today, Alex’s parents still marvel at his inability to comprehend
racism and other human biases.
“[Most people] can’t help but
come with all this societal baggage,” says Goodman. “Various
attitudes have just seeped into
you. But that’s not true for Alex.
He’s taken tests that reveal hidden
biases most people have — Alex
Blind to bigotry
has none.”
Alex recently wrote a paper enFor people with Asperger ’s titled “The Chains of Friendship:
Syndrome, the world of the neuro- An Autistic Person’s Perspective
logically typical is mysterious and on Interpersonal Relations.” He
confusing in nearly every aspect of examined peer pressure and the
social experience, writes Daniel in self-destructive behaviors that
“A Different
some people
Kind of Boy,”
adopt in order
a book he
to be accepted.
wrote about
In his essay,
Alex. As AlAlex writes:
ex’s parents
“While evspent years
erybody likes
coaching him
to talk about
on the conhow interpercepts of per-Nanette Goodman, sonal relationsonal space
are more
Alex’s mother ships
(“He would
valuable than
pet people’s
anything matefaces”), modrial, for me the
esty (“He’d emerge outside au na- opposite is true: Material things
turel while we were chatting with are more predictable, while relaneighbors”) and phrases not to say tionships can swing from reward(“He’d ask his grandma why she ing and fulfilling to excruciatingly
was so fat”), they struggled to ex- painful with no rhyme or reason.
plain human patterns of thought I just don’t know why any willing
that weren’t logical.
person would subject themselves
“How do you explain racism to that kind of torture. I guess I’ll
to someone who lives by logic?” never know.”
the other women looked like.”
Alex’s limited capacity for remembering faces is one of many
eccentricities that reveal his extremely unique way of perceiving his surroundings, according
to Goodman. “His sense of the
physical world is just weird,”
she says, recalling a day when he
couldn’t find the closet in his room
because the closet doors, usually
open, were closed.
As students respond to Alex’s
discussion questions, he smiles to
himself, rolling and unrolling his
tie, fiddling with the white plug
of the teacher’s laptop.
“Once he understood the world,
he could live in it.”
20 ADS
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April 21, 2005
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silverCHIPS
FEATURES 21
April 21, 2005
Staying true to ideology and identity
Gay teenagers look to reconcile their religious convictions with their sexual orientations
from SEXUALITY page 1
years before coming out to his famA Christian
certainly wrong. But three years ago, Mitch- ily.
ell began to wish that there were room for a Apostolic,
Mike
moral gray area in her faith when she real- has always viewed
ized that she, herself, was gay.
religion as one of
While the 2004 election turned issues the most integral
like gay marriage into questions of faith, parts of his life:
and churches continue to debate homo- He goes to church
sexuality within their own ranks, the Gay three days a week
and Lesbian Consumer Online Census es- for prayer and
timated in 2003 that close to 40 percent of song and has pracgay Americans practiced a religion. For ticed the faith since
the handful of gay and bisexual Blazers birth.
Like Mitchell,
who have joined this national trend, reconciling sexual orientation with faith has Mike grew up in a
meant a confusing and painful journey to religious environself-acceptance.
ment where homosexuality was
“Hiding it deeper”
unquestionably
taboo. Although
When she first began to realize she was Mike sometimes
gay, Mitchell was unable to accept it. She wonders if his
believed that homosexuality conflicted church is right on
with her religion and imagined that her de- the matter of hovoutly Baptist family would feel the same.
mosexuality,
his
Mitchell had grown up accepting the confusions
stem
strongly anti-gay sentiment that was root- more from his own Junior Lacey Mitchell sits in front of her Baptist church in Silver Spring on April 11. Although her
ed deeply in her family’s religious convic- faith than from his mother knows, Mitchell has not told her congregation that she is gay. Photo by Hannah Thresher
tions. It was for this reason that she did church’s.
Every
not come out in eighth grade, when she Sunday, Mike’s pastor begins his weekly to the same decision: Although her mother than getting hurt or angry, he continued
first realized she was gay. “I thought that speech against homosexuality, making it learned that she was gay when a family to hope that his mother would eventually
something was wrong with me,” Mitch- clear that the church views being gay as friend saw Mitchell and her girlfriend to- “come around.”
ell explains. “That was what was taught “not the right way to go,” and every Sun- gether, she has yet to come out to her reliRobert believes his mother’s reaction
to me. In my family, things like that were day, Mike leaves the congregation before gious congregation.
was largely due to her belief that the rest
forbidden.”
Initially, Mitchell says, her mother was of her family — also strongly religious —
the preaching begins.
Although Robert, a former 2005 senior
furious. “She was yelling and cursing at would view his sexual orientation as a failComing clean and coming out
and a Baptist, never shared his family’s
me,” Mitchell says, adding that while her ure on her part. The rest of Robert’s family,
religious beliefs on homosexuality, he says
church’s views on homosexuality are a however, has accepted that he is gay, even
Earlier this year, in spite of his reserva- mere annoyance, her mother’s were hurt- if they don’t entirely approve of it. “They
that they were a consideration for him in
tions, Mike revealed ful. “I was upset — because she didn’t wish it was different, but they don’t dwell
coming out. Before
his sexual orienta- accept it, but also just because I was so on it,” he says. “They know that there are
letting his family
tion during an unre- shocked that she would talk to me like still other parts to me.” Realizing that her
know that he was gay,
lated argument with that!” Soon, however, Mitchell’s mother fears were unfounded, Robert’s mother has
Robert’s primary fear
his mother.
“She moved into denial, and now, Mitchell and gradually moved from denial to discuswas that his mother’s
was mad, and she her mother no longer discuss her sexual sion, which Robert views as an important
belief in the teachings
was sad, but most- orientation. “It still bothers me, but I’ve step forward in their relationship.
of
Rastafarianism,
ly just angry,” he kind of moved past it,” she says.
a sect of ChristianDespite his initial concerns, Robert says
ity that views homoAlthough Robert says he always knew that the members of his church view him
says. “She told me
sexuality as sinful,
-junior she didn’t raise me on some level that he was gay, his fears in the same light as they always have. In
would cause her to
Lacey Mitchell like this.” But Mike about breaking the news to his mother kept turn, Robert goes to church whenever posreject him. “I was
doesn’t care — he him from coming out until his junior year sible and studies the Bible on his own. “I
so afraid of what she
continues to defend of high school. “[But] once she found out, I still see myself as a son of God,” he says.
might think,” he says.
his sexual orientation didn’t have anything to hide,” he says. “It
Belief in God is a constant for Mitchell
“I just kept hiding it deeper, even though it in spite of his mother’s disapproval. “She was like this metamorphosis; I had gone as well. If anything, the realization that
was eating me alive.”
can’t change me,” he says. Religion is still into a cocoon, and I was overwhelmed she is gay has prompted Mitchell to spend
This internal conflict is a reality for many an important part of Mike’s life, though with emotion, but I came to grips with it.”
more time reading and understanding the
The day his mother found out, Robert Bible, partially motivated by the controvergay and bisexual teenagers struggling to fit he doesn’t plan to reveal his sexual orienin socially, according to Richard Lindsay, tation to his church because of the way it watched her go from denial to anger and sy within the clergy over homosexuality.
finally pack a bag to spend the night with a
the religious liaison for the National Gay views homosexuality.
Although she believes that her church cousin. When she returned, though, their
and Lesbian Task Force. “Coming out is
Conflict and controversy
more difficult for teens than adults in part would disagree with her lifestyle, Mitch- relationship remained unchanged. “She
because life for a teen is more complicated ell sees her church’s teachings as tiresome just didn’t want to accept that it was true,”
Around the globe, religious and poalready,” he says, adding that for religious rather than upsetting. “To hear the same he explains, adding that he understands litical figures alike have been locked in a
teenagers, the duality is even more evi- preaching about how wrong homosexual- that the admission “wasn’t an easy thing fierce debate over the ethics of homosexudent.
ity is, it’s annoying,” she explains. “I’ve to accept.” Although he was upset by his ality: Faith is at stake, and the implications
It was in part because of religious pres- heard it all before.” Two years ago, Mitch- mother’s reaction, Robert tried to view
sure that Mike, a senior, chose to wait three ell faced the same choice as Mike and came the situation from her perspective. Rather
see SEXUALITY page 22
“In my family,
things like that were
forbidden.”
Pursuing the SMOB dream
from SMOB page 15
a moment of silence.
“That’s it,” the director says.
Relieved to have gotten the
taping over with, Johnson and
Johnson is interviewed on his
SMOB candidacy on March
15. Photo by Hannah Rosen
Sicard take off their microphones and walk out of the studio.
“God, that sucked,” Johnson
says with a sigh. “I hate cameras.”
On the way back to Blair,
Johnson stops at McDonald’s.
As he sits at the table eating
his first meal all day, some high
school students walk in. Johnson debates talking to them, but
decides against it. He has done
enough campaigning for one
day.
Yet, Johnson’s work is far
from over. When he gets back
to school, he has to work on a
presentation for his history class
as well as catch up on a lot of
make-up work after missing so
much school for his campaign.
Over the course of this week,
Johnson has only been to his
sixth-period Physics class once.
Since then, his teacher has
covered an entire unit that Johnson will be tested on before
spring break.
Though
many
students
would welcome the opportunity to skip school as much as
Johnson must, Johnson would
almost rather be in class. Making up the work he misses is
often more difficult than campaigning. If he is elected SMOB,
he will have to miss even more
classes in order to be present at
board meetings and attend to
his duties as SMOB.
But this doesn’t worry Johnson as much — for him, SMOB
will supersede all his other duties. “I have a commitment to
myself and to my grades, but
I feel that my commitment to
representing the students comes
first,” he says.
That’s just the way he is and
the way he has always been — a
bona fide politician.
In with the ‘N’
out that bitch and queer, terms
traditionally used to degrade
But senior Henry Soza, a La- women and homosexuals, have
tino student who has used the been used in modern pop culword, insists that when he says ture to compliment rather than
it as slang, “it’s not coming from insult. “She’s a Bitch,” the muthe word ‘nigger.’” Instead, sic single by Missy Elliot, and
Soza views it as an entirely new “Queer Eye for the Straight
Guy,” the gayphrase,
one
centric televiunrelated to its
sion series, are
historically racexamples
of
ist roots.
these words’
Kennedy bepositive power.
lieves that peoPerhaps nigger
ple who use the
is headed in the
word
lightly
same direction,
are not necessarily ignorant
-Harvard professor M c A n d r e w
of the word’s
Randall Kennedy speculates.
In any case,
former meandespite
the
ing. “There are
protests
of
probably some
people who are well aware of people who believe the word to
the history but are trying to be insulting, nigger isn’t going
chart out a different future for anywhere.
“I think it’s a very key word
this word,” he says.
Black Culture Instructor Jen- in American life,” Kennedy
nifer McAndrew, a teacher at the says. “I think a hundred years
University of Maryland, points from now it’ll still be around.”
from N-WORD page 15
“It’s a very key
word in
American life.”
22 FEATURES
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
Uniting sexuality and spirituality
For some gay, lesbian and bisexual Blazers, religion offers guidance, yet forces isolation
from SEXUALITY page 21
Forty percent of gay Americans say they practice a religion, the
most common being Catholicism, according to the Gay and Lesbian Consumer Online Census. Photo by Hannah Rosen
are far-reaching. As this conflict
garners international headlines,
its repercussions continue to echo
through local congregations.
According to Steve Pettit, the
head pastor of Derwood Bible
Church, a local non-denominational church, homosexuality and
Christianity are in conflict. Pettit
believes that the Bible views homosexuality as a sin, equating it
with lying.
However, to Stanley Dubowski, head pastor of St. Hildegard’s
Church, an inclusive Old Catholic
church in Arlington, Virginia, being both gay and Christian represents no contradiction: Dubowski
has been openly gay since before
his ordination. Dubowski says
that under Old Catholicism,
homosexuality is not an issue.
Dubowski’s parish is “mixed,”
half gay and half straight, and he
explains that Old Catholicism is
“accepting of people as people.”
“I think that a lot of mainstream
Christians inflict way too much
guilt about this,” Dubowski says,
adding that he believes that commonly cited Bible passages on homosexuality are misinterpreted.
Dubowski feels that while
some Bible verses have a clear
objection to the ritualized homosexuality of the ancient Romans, the Bible has “no real direction one way or another” on
the issue of homosexuality as a
whole. And while homosexuality
remains a point of contention for
For Johnny, a Catholic junior
who realized that he was bisexual in middle school, the confusion
has always been more pervasive.
“I’m following a religion that
teaches that, no matter what, I’m
going to end up in hell because
Changing the faith
I’m not straight,” he says. In reStill, Mitchell says, her rela- cent years, Johnny has started to
tionship with her church has been question some of his long-held
irrevocably changed. She no lon- beliefs about Catholicism, among
ger goes to church every Sunday them his belief in the infallibility
and feels out of place when she of the Pope.
Reconciling his life with his
does. “It just doesn’t feel right
anymore,” she says. “I just feel faith has not been easy for Johnny,
but he has reached the conclusion
awkward there.”
Confused and frustrated by that the way in which he lives his
what she saw as the impossible life is not a sin. “I know who I am
in my life,” he
standards of
explains.
the
church,
Robert, too,
Mitchell says
has developed
that she bea strong sense
gan to quesof
identity.
tion her faith
He chooses to
after initially
practice
his
realizing that
religion alone
she was gay.
-junior Lacey Mitchell rather than in
“At one point
an organized
I wondered,
setting, parwhy should
I even bother — everything tially because of what he views
seems to be a sin,” she says. “If as the judgmental nature of some
you’re not the perfect Chris- churches. “I can’t help who I
tian, they condemn you.” am,” he says. “We all sin, and
Soon, however, Mitchell real- who’s to say that one sin is greatized that she objected not to the er than another?”
Rather than concerning himunderlying principles of her religion but instead to the practi- self with the question of sin, Robcalities. “I think maybe the Bible ert strives only to remain true to
needs an update,” she says, cit- himself in both his religion and
ing lines in the Bible objecting to his life. He explains, “I’m just
women wearing pants as exam- being who I am. Be who you
are — that’s all you can do.”
ples of outmoded teachings.
religious leaders, both Dubowski
and Pettit continue to stress that
a congregant’s sexual orientation
should not bar him or her from
attending a church.
“I think maybe the
Bible needs an
update.”
The guilt of resorting to an abortion
from ABORTION page 18
was given a date for the procedure to occur. The entire process was planned in secret, without her parents’ knowledge or
intervention.
Although Catherine lied about her age
and excluded her parents from the decision-making process, Maryland law mandates that minors obtain permission from
one parent before undergoing the procedure. Harper explains that most centers
for abortion are generally very cautious
in checking peoples’ ages. However, once
over 18, the law gives the abortionist “sole
and unreviewable discretion to disregard
parental rights,” letting girls go through
the process without telling their parents.
“Oh my God, I killed a baby”
For Suzanne, telling a parent only lightened the burden. “My mom knew, which
was good because she supported me,” she
says. “I was so messed up after it, and I
needed someone to talk to me, to counsel
me.” This counseling was crucial after her
abortion, since Suzanne grew severely depressed. “Everyday it would go through
my head: ‘Oh my God, I killed a baby,’”
she says. “I was so dumb and careless
with my body, and now I had to go knowing I killed someone that could have been
my kid.”
For girls, these feelings can turn disastrous. “Women have even attempted suicide after such a procedure,” Harper says.
“There’s so much guilt.”
Catherine’s emotional reaction was
similar to Suzanne’s. “There was so much
crying involved,” she remembers. “I’d
skip school and just stay home and feel
depressed. But I was also mad and pissed
off at myself, not just sad.”
While the guilt was emotionally and
mentally exhausting, it took a toll on Catherine physically as well. “My body ached
so much afterwards, especially my stomach,” she says. “It feels like really bad period cramps that just won’t go away, like
knives or something.” Her energy was
also at an all-time low. “I was so drained
and sick-feeling after,” she remembers.
“I slept the whole day after, and I stayed
home a bunch of days before being able to
go back.”
Catherine was also forced to overcome
the economic complications. Because their
parents were not involved in the procedure, Catherine and Eric had to come up
with the $700 for the abortion on their
own.
The school absences that followed accumulated, and by January, Catherine was
in danger of failing most of her classes.
“I even explained it to some teachers so
that they’d know where I was coming
from.” Yet some of her teachers’ reactions
were, she says, “totally un-understanding.” “A teacher who I told was like,
‘Why?’ And she called me crazy and gave
me a lecture about how wrong it was, but
it’s just like...it’s my decision. I respect the
fact that some people think it’s wrong, but
you also have to understand the girl’s situation.”
Rocky relationships
Working hard in school was not an easy
task, since Catherine had several other issues to deal with, including her faltering
relationship with Eric. “We were both a
mess. He cried maybe as much as I did,”
she says. After the abortion, Catherine
says their relationship was at its most
strenuous point. “I could be crying, and
he wouldn’t talk,” Catherine says. Sometimes, she was unable to tolerate his unresponsive manner. “Every time I’d bring it
up, he’d get upset, and I’d be screaming,
‘Why aren’t you here for me? Why won’t
you go through this with me?’ For a while,
all we’d do is scream and fight and argue,”
she remembers. Yet, Catherine says, given
the circumstances, fighting was almost inevitable. “We were both on edge. I think
all relationships are like that after enduring [something like an abortion].”
Catherine’s parents had no idea what
their daughter was going through, and
they remain unaware to this day. “There
Graphic by Sheila Rajagopal
was all this I was keeping from them,” she
says. “I was too scared of their reaction
and their disappointments. I’d rather die
than fail in my father’s eyes, and I knew he
wouldn’t take this. Sometimes I still think,
‘Oh my God, if they only knew.’”
The only relative in Catherine’s family who she told was her older sister, who
“broke down and cried like hell,” Catherine says. “We both just cried for days.”
Dealing with the decision
Sitting in the SAC with her stomach
swollen by five months of pregnancy,
freshman Ana Arteaga confesses that she
too considered abortion when she learned
she was pregnant. “You’re so scared when
you first find out that you don’t even
think that straight,” she whispers. Even
now, Arteaga shakily admits that she does
sometimes wonder about her decision to
keep her child. “I’m scared!” she says with
a nervous laugh. “I’d be lying if I said I
wasn’t. I mean, I’m going to have a baby!
Sometimes I think, ‘[Abortion] would’ve
been the easy way out,’ you know?”
Senior
Cynthia
Vasquez-Romero
also briefly let the idea of abortion float
through her head when the two lines appeared on her CVS pregnancy test three
years ago. On March 14, she sits as her
son, David Romero, looks up at her laughing, then runs to get a toy. Smiling down
at him, Vasquez-Romero murmurs quietly,
“I can’t believe I even thought of it. Like,
where would I be if David wasn’t here?”
But looking back at the passed difficult
months, Catherine is also confident that she
made the right decision. “It was hard to get
through, but it was the best thing to do. I
don’t like that I had to do what I did, but it’s
better than being an incompetent mom,”
she says.
“Imagine being a teenage
parent — all the girls I know that are
[teen mothers] have husband problems
and economic problems. Then their kids
go through these terrible, horrible times
because the mother couldn’t provide
for them. I’d rather do what I did than
raise a kid who wouldn’t be proud to call
me Mom.”
silverCHIPS
ENTERTAINMENT
April 21, 2005
23
Exposing the iRritating side of iPods
Inefficient and over-priced, Apple’s newest fad is a waste of consumers’ time and money
By JULIA PENN
An opinion
iPods are like this winter ’s
North Face jackets, last winter’s
Uggs and 2002’s Timbs. Everyone
who is anyone has one.
Since the iPod’s debut in 2001,
Apple has sold over 10 million of
these trendy digital music players,
whose glistening 5.6 ounces of
hardware can fit in your pocket.
iPods easily dominate the portable digital music player industry, controlling 65 percent of the
market. But contrary to what its
ad campaigns and sales numbers
may suggest, iPods are not even
the best that the digital music
industry has to offer.
But, you say, iPods are the prettiest — and they come in pink.
Though everyone knows you
can’t judge a book by its cover,
people seem to be making an exception for the iPod. Companies
like Dell and Creative are selling
iPod equivalents with just as
many, if not more, features, and at
a significantly cheaper price.
Expect more, pay less
Here’s the deal: An iPod is not
a good deal.
The standard
sized 20 GB
iPod, which
holds about
5,000 songs,
is priced at
a whopping
$299. Sure,
this includes
a 12-hour
battery life,
a compact
5.6 ounces of
smooth white
plastic and a
touch-sensitive wheel
for operating ease, but
so do all the
other digital
music players. The Dell Digital
Jukebox costs $250 with all the
same features as the iPod, though
it weighs 6.8 ounces. But is the 1.2
ounces less weight of an iPod really worth an extra 50 bucks?
Let’s take a look at Creative
Technologies’ Nomad Jukebox
Zen Xtra, which comes in at a
lame second in sales with 17
percent of the market share. For
the exact same price as an iPod,
the Zen can store three times as
many songs. The Zen shares all
the same features as the iPod, and
its battery life is two hours longer.
Creative also offers the Zen Touch,
a 20 GB player, which guarantees
a full 24-hour battery life for $249.
Same capacity, lower price, longer
battery life — how do you like
them, Apple?
Battery life, shmattery life
Aside from “ripping” songs off
previously owned CDs, the only
other legal way to get songs onto
your iPod is to download them
off iTunes, Apple’s online music
store, where you can buy songs
for 99 cents a pop. In an effort to
further control the portable digital
music player market, Apple has
also programmed the newer iPods
so that music from alternative
legal downloading sites is unplayable on the iPod.
On top of this comes another,
far more subversive cost. Though
iPods are advertised as having a
rechargeable
battery with
a lengthy 12hour battery
life, the fine
print will
re v e a l t h a t
“rechargeable batteries
have a limited number
of charge cycles and may
eventually
need to be replaced.” And
where do you
buy replacements for
said dead battery? Only at
your friendly
neighborhood Apple store, of
course. And for the low price of
another $99.
With Apple’s latest edition to
the family, the iPod Shuffle (the
cheapest iPod to hit the market at
$99 for only 120 songs’ worth of
Graphics by Sheila Rajagopal
Above: A consumer’s guide to cost-efficient iPod alternatives. Below: The iPod ruling over the
portable digital music player industry with satanic fury. Inset: A conformity driven pod person
dances to the beat of her highly overrated iPod. Inset image courtesy of http://www.apple.com
space), it is very likely that many
more conformity-driven Pod
people will flock to Apple merchandise stores across America.
Though it doesn’t make much
sense to want a music player
where you have absolutely no
control over what songs you can
listen to, iPod Shuffle advertisements seduce consumers with
the catchy one-liner, “Life is random.”
Instead, iPod’s slogan should
be, “Life is shallow, and you have
to make a good impression on
other people by buying this hot
product.” The only logical reason
for everybody wanting an iPod is
that — well, everybody else has
an iPod.
and tees,” its web site boasts; and
it’s perfect for people who “love
The Clash but hate to clash.” The
mini is fast becoming the newest
accessory with accessories of its
own — Gucci sells iPod cases for
$195.
Most Blazers who own iPods
cite convenience as its main attraction; they say the iPod allows
them to store all their music
neatly in one place. But when
you look past the considerable
hype, it becomes obvious that
consumers are being blinded by
the white light of Apple’s blistering ad campaign. “This season’s
must-have accessory” is in fact an
accessory to Apple’s crime of conning the public into choosing the
iPod over its better and cheaper
competitors.
The beauty of the iPod
After taking the world by
storm four years ago, the iPod
has evolved and multiplied, creating a sleek mystique that attracts
teens. The iPod mini, a 1,000-song
iPod for $199, is now available in
four different colors to go “with
everything: Macs, PCs, sequins
BEYOND the Boulevard
Movies
New stories are up on
Silver Chips Online
• The Intel experience
by Katy Lafen
• Females seek to grasp
logic behind cat calling
by Melanie Thompson
• Boys’ step team stomps
out their own rhythm
by Sayoh Mansaray
• Pop politics
by Jody Pollock
Look under “Print Edition” at
http://silverchips.mbhs.edu
“The Interpreter” (PG-13) — Sean Penn
and Nicole Kidman headline this twisty
drama about an FBI agent assigned to
protect a United Nations interpreter after
she overhears an assassination plot. This
early summer flick could be the rare thriller
that manages to thrill, but only if the plot is
better than Kidman’s gratingly awful South
African accent. (April 22)
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”
(PG) — With a script penned by Douglas
Adams, the author of the wildly popular
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”
series, this sci-fi comedy about a working stiff, beamed off the face of the planet
seconds before it is demolished by aliens,
looks capable of successfully capturing the
sarcastic hilarity of the books. (April 29)
“XXX: State Of The Union” (PG-13) — No,
it’s not a porno. It’s even more disgusting.
“State Of The Union” is yet another movie
in a now-Vin-Diesel-less franchise. Ice Cube
stars this time, teaming up with Samuel L.
Jackson to bring down a military splinter
cell attempting to overthrow the government in yet another overcooked, improbable and eminently miss-able action flick.
(April 29)
“Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the
Sith” (not yet rated) — The final installment in the “Star Wars” saga, this emissary
of summer blockbusters boasts tons of
lightsaber duels, epic space battles and the
first appearance of a helmeted Darth Vader.
Honestly, though, all anyone really wants
to see is Jar Jar Binks get a lightsaber in the
gut. Here’s to hoping the force is against
him. (May 19)
DVDs
“Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events” (PG) — The DVD for this
painfully slow and morose children’s flick
comes complete with dry, un-amusing
commentary by fictional author Lemony
Snicket and a tepid batch of deleted scenes
and short featurettes. (April 26)
“The Phantom Of The Opera” (PG-13)
— An enjoyably extravagant and faithful
adaptation of the Broadway show that gets
thorough treatment on DVD, these two
discs full of commentaries, documentaries
and making-of-featurettes more than do
justice to the epic film. (May 3)
“Team America: World Police” (R) — Occasionally tasteless but always hilarious,
“Team America” comes to DVD with an
array of featurettes and commentaries
as well as a companion unrated version
that should offend any ethnic or religious
groups the theatrical cut managed to overlook. (May 17)
“Scrubs: The Complete First Season” (TV14) — After four years, the first season of
NBC’s smartly written hospital dramedy
is finally coming to DVD. Four discs full
of commentaries, deleted scenes, gag-reels
and behind-the-scenes-footage would seem
like overkill if it weren’t all devoted to the
best and most insightful coming-of-age
series to ever hit television. (May 17)
Concerts
Secret Garden at the Birchmere Music Hall,
$29.50 (April 26)
Sting at the Patriot Center, $49-$59 (April
27)
Phantom Planet at Fletcher’s Bar & Grill,
$15 (April 28)
To buy tickets, call (202) 423-Seat or visit
http://www.ticketmaster.com
Beyond the Boulevard compiled
by John Visclosky
24
ENTERTAINMENT
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
Blazer’s performance is fit for a king
Musical sophomore’s dedication earns recognition, high-profile performance for royalty
of excitement,” he says, recalling the over his own. It’s an atypical weekend schedfive hours of extra rehearsals of the short ule for a high school student and one that
series of Norwegian folksongs chosen for leaves little room for leisure time. “It is
the performance. While the thorough very straining,” he acknowledges. “But I
preparation yielded a successful recital, do enjoy it.”
it did not quell Ravinsky-Gray’s perforFor Ravinsky-Gray, the trade-off bemance jitters. “My heart kind of raced,” he tween practice time and free time is worth
says. “It was hard to get the feeling out of it: The instrument, which he began playthe way that we were performing for the ing at the age of five, is not simply an interking and queen of a country.”
est, hobby or talent, but a conduit for his
This nervousness was unusual for emotions and his imagination — an outlet
Ravinsky-Gray. He performs frequently, through which he can think, speak and
and his ability to block out all possible dis- create. And while his technical proficientractions often dispels most anxiety. It is cy has made him an accomplished musithis focus, he says, that allows him to per- cian and soloist, he feels the opportunity
to express himself
form some of his
provides him with
more complicated
important
musipieces.
Ravinsky-Gray
cal inspiration. “I
first
attempted
like to make my
professional-level
own ideas,” he
music two years
says, describing the
ago, when he says
process of learnhe found the selfing and playing a
discipline and mo-sophomore new piece of music.
“Although I might
tivation to progress
Yuval Ravinsky-Gray modify the ideas
from his intermediof others I hear in
ate playing. A new
performances,” he
violin teacher, Emil
Chudnovsky, and an increased dedication adds, “it will be my own creation.”
It is this artistic dimension to the violin
to the instrument enabled Ravinsky-Gray
to play complicated pieces often reserved that has given Ravinsky-Gray the ability
to convey things through music that he
for professional musicians.
Today, he spends an estimated 10 to 12 feels he would be unable to communicate
hours a week practicing the instrument through words. “Often I find myself undespite an eight-class course load that of- able to express certain emotions,” says
ten pushes back practice time to the late Ravinsky-Gray. “Violin and music just
evening. According to Chudnovsky, the feels more comfortable than language.”
long hours have paid off. “He is getting to
a point where he is technically proficient,”
he says of Ravinsky-Gray. “I would say
Getting to know Yuval
he’s graduated from student-level to pro• Favorite composers: Vivaldi, Bach
fessional-level playing.”
• Favorite piece of music: “Chaconne”
Ravinsky-Gray has made other sacby Tomasso Vitali
rifices for his instrument. On a typical
• Favorite ice cream: Pralines and
Saturday, he darts from one musical encream
gagement to another, practicing first with
an orchestra, then with a trio and then on
“Violin and music just
feel more comfortable
than language.”
Sophomore Yuval Ravinsky-Gray practices a piece of music. His affinity for the
violin motivates him to rehearse 10-12 hours a week. Photo by Hannah Rosen
By ARMIN ROSEN
H
e speaks slowly, softly and deliberately; he reads more than
most and is one of only a handful of Blazers who regularly
bikes to school. Yet it is not idiosyncrasies
that most distinguish sophomore Yuval
Ravinsky-Gray in a school of 3,300, but
talent. Indeed, he is a young virtuoso, a
violinist whose abilities recently landed
him the chance to play before the king and
queen of Norway.
In March, Ravinsky-Gray and two other members of the D.C. Youth Orchestra
were selected to perform at the monarchs’
visit to Thompson Elementary School in
Washington, D.C. The young musicians
were invited by the parent of a fellow
Youth Orchestra member who worked at
the school, which was chosen for the royal
visit because of its partnership with the
Norwegian government. Ravinsky-Gray
was elated at the opportunity. “I felt it
was a huge honor to play for the king and
queen,” he says. “I was proud to represent the United States and the musicians of
the United States for the royalty of another
country.”
But Ravinsky-Gray was also very nervous. “The two other orchestra members
and I had some fear and more than a bit
Hot spots for spring fun
By KARIMA TAWFIK
Now that summer is approaching and spring is in full bloom, go
out and get some exercise! Put on
your sneakers, grab a bathing suit
and check out some of these local
spots for a day of outdoor activities that include biking, hiking,
boating, swimming and more.
Sandy Point State Park
This recreational park located
in Annapolis offers a spectacular view of the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge. The site features boating,
fishing, picnics, playgrounds and
hiking, but most people opt to
relax on the beaches, which are
among the finest on the Chesapeake Bay. Rowboats and motorboats are available for rent beginning in late spring.
Admission: $5.00 per person on
weekends and holidays; $4.00 per
person on weekdays.
Approximately 42 minutes from
Blair.
an ideal spot to rent canoes and
travel along the Potomac River.
You can also bike or walk the
spacious Swain’s Lock towpath,
a five-mile trail that runs along
the river and beneath a series
of cliffs. Call (301) 299-9006 for
canoe rental information. The
grounds are open for camping as
well.
Approximately 48 minutes from
Blair.
Cunningham Falls State Park
This state park is located in the
Catoctin Mountains and boasts a
78-foot waterfall and the nearby
Hunting Creek Lake in which
people can swim. During the
summer, canoes and rowboats
are available for rental. Nine scenic trials also circle the park, but
biking is not permitted. Camper
cabins are located near the creek
for a minimum of a two-night’s
stay. Call (301) 271-7574 for more
information.
Admission: weekdays Memorial
Day through Labor Day, $3 per person; weekends and holidays, $4 per
person.
Approximately 66 minutes from
Blair.
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain stands
1,282 feet tall in northeastern
Maryland. Trails range from a
quarter mile to seven miles and
provide an enjoyable challenge
for moderate and advanced hikers. Sugarloaf also overlooks the
town of Dickerson, Maryland.
Approximately 47 minutes from
Blair.
Swain’s Lock
Located on the C&O Canal off
of River Road, Swain’s Lock is
Get out in the sun! Rent a canoe or take a stroll at Swain’s Lock.
Photo courtesy of McMullan’s Virtual Tour of the C&O Canal
silverCHIPS
ENTERTAINMENT
April 21, 2005
25
April Crossword
by Nora Boedecker
Across
Down
1. Alan Palton’s classic novel:
“_____ the Beloved Country”
4. French for “friend” (masc.)
7. To react positively to a performance
11. Without weapons
13. Outer garment worn by
Indian and Pakistani women
14. Men’s dress clothing
accessory
16. Describes the area out of city
17. Negative response
18. “O give me a home, where the
buffalo _____ “
20. What MP3s may soon replace
(singular)
22. Game to make one rich,
perhaps
23. Important College Board test
24. To hold someone against their
will
27. Will Smith cover: “Just The
Two of _____”
28. Beloved fairy tale: “Princess
and the _____”
29. Halloween month
35. “_____ the beans;” to give
away
37. Medieval prison
39. Hit Beatles song: “_____ it be”
41. With great fervor, with a
_____ passion
43. _____ message cheating
44. Of the far east
46. “_____ Academic”
48. To desire or need
49. Agricultural Research Service
(abbr.)
50. Body art
52. Not applicable (abbr.)
54. “Live free or die” state (abbr.)
55. Ma’s spouse
56. Operative government agency
(abbr.)
59. Long story
62. Not on purpose
64. To really impress, to _____
65. “To-___ list”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
12.
15.
19.
21.
22.
25.
26.
27.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
36.
38.
40.
42.
45.
47.
51.
53.
55.
57.
58.
Submit completed crosswords to
room 158 by April 29. The winner will
receive a bag of candy of his or her choice.
Congratulations to last issueʼs
winner, freshman Walker Hatchett!
60.
61.
63.
“Say Anything” actor, John
_____
Copies genetic information
from DNA (abbr.)
Knitting material
In the morning
Of the city
Fool
Dreaded May tests (singular)
Birthday celebration, perhaps
Not “down”
To get rid of, as on a computer
River that divides the
United States and Mexico:
_____ Grande
To have a meal
Song
Short swim
“Do Re Mi Fa So _____ Ti Do”
Fate
Favorite activity of a cat
A subliminal desire
Large sale
Boston University (abbr.)
Way to enter a building
Last name of Shakespeare’s
donkey in “Midsummer
Night’s Dream”
What April showers are supposed to bring in May
Independent Film Network
(abbr.)
Opposite of 32 down
Long period of time
Initials of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde” author
Extraterrestrial (abbr.)
“Is that _____?”
“I _____, therefore I am”
Has a lower pH
Foot, for a cat
@
Sinatra classic: “_____ or
Nothing”
Root beer brand: _____ &
_____
To move
Same as 65 across
The Funnies
The Strip
by Samir Paul and Rebecca Sugar
Ever overheard something
bizarre while walking down the
hall? This is what Chips heard
when we listened to people
making HALL TALK...
“Guys, it’s not all about
nuggets.”
-March 22, 1:05 p.m.,
room 311
“Purple flamingos cavort
in the monsoon.”
-April 5, 1:30 p.m.,
room 215
The SAC
by Max Wasserman
“Ask Jeeves won’t judge
you.”
-Feb. 5, 10:11 a.m.,
Portable 2
“Man, I feel like I just ate
an anvil.”
-March 17, 1:27 p.m.,
Blair Boulevard
“Guys, I need to learn how
to cook, or else I won’t get
a husband.”
-March 23, 12:27 p.m.,
Blair Boulevard
“I feel like a thugged-out
leprechaun.”
-March 21, 7:30 a.m.,
room 165
26 ADS
April 21, 2005
silverCHIPS
silverCHIPS
27
En la transición al clima
21 de abril del 2005
LAS NOTICIAS
Nuevas reglas para después de la escuela
La seguridad de Blair ahora está enforzando la regla que
prohíbe el uso de casilleros después de las 3:00 p.m. Según el
director de seguridad Edward Reddick, la regla ayuda a solucionar problemas como las interrupciones en la escuela nocturna, el
sonido de alarmas de puertas, robos de los casilleros y el mantenimiento y limpieza del edificio. Reddick dice que ha habido
más problemas este año por el uso constante del edificio. Los
estudiantes que sean vistos abriendo sus casilleros después de las
tres, recibirán una advertencia. Si son vistos otras veces después,
los administradores serán notificados.
Esta regla fue presentada en una reunión al comienzo del año
y dice que todos los estudiantes deben “traer sus artículos con
ellos” a sus actividades después de las horas escolares. Aunque
varios estudiantes y maestros no han oído de la regla nueva, hace
dos años que fue creada. “Como todo los demás, uno presenta
la información y espera que las personas sigan las reglas”, dice
Wanner. Mientras que esta regla ayuda con unos problemas,
unos estudiantes se sienten inseguros, ya que algunos tendrán
que dejar sus artículos afuera.
Más diversidad en el Magnet
El número de admisiones de estudiantes afro—americanos de
tres escuelas del Magnet ha subido al doble en los últimos tres
años a causa de los esfuerzos de MCPS. Las estadísticas fueron
presentadas después que los padres afro—americanos protestaron
en contra del programa diciendo que muy pocos estudiantes
afro—americanos son aceptados al programa cada año. El número de estudiantes que fueron aceptados a las escuelas intermedias
de Takoma Park, Roberto Clemente e Eastern subió de 24 a 51.
Estos aumentos resultan de los esfuerzos de MCPS desde 2002
para aumentar la diversidad en programas del Magnet.
Los cambios apoyan a estudiantes que tal vez no sean considerados como muy inteligentes para que puedan tomar cursos rigurosos. Thomas Broadwater, coordinador de AAPMSA
(African American Parents of Magnet School Applicants) dice
que aunque está complacido con las estadísticas, no cree que
los cambios sean suficientes y que las escuelas deban de hacer
cambios al proceso de selección.
Liga de futsala creada en reacción a las pandillas
La liga de futsala de la Academia de deportes de Blair (BSA)
comenzó el mes pasado para este año escolar. La academia continuará recaudando fondos para expandir el programa para este
verano y el próximo año.
La liga, patrocinada por el cuerpo especial de la policía para el
seguimiento de las pandillas, está en su segundo año de existencia
y fue creada en reacción al alto nivel de actividades de pandillas.
El BSA reconoció que muchos estudiantes no participaban en
actividades estructuradas después de la escuela. Los estudiantes
que participan están ocupados desde las 3:00 hasta las 5:00 p.m.,
siendo este el horario considerado como el más popular para
actividades pandilleras. Para participar, los estudiantes tienen
que estar de acuerdo con las reglas del BSA. Los estudiantes no
pueden vestirse con ropa relacionada a las pandillas y tienen que
asistir a sesiones de tutoría cuando las necesitan.
Este verano, el BSA se expandirá para incluir un campamento
en la escuela intermedia de Eastern. El programa incluirá actividades como deportes, paseos y un proyecto contra la violencia.
Además, habrá un curso “Conquista tus sueños” para promover
la educación de los padres y ayudará a los hispanohablantes a
aprovecharse de los recursos del Condado de Montgomery.
Traducciones hechas por Jessica Bermudez y Ria Richardson
LA ESQUINA LATINA
Estrena música exitosa para estimular a los sentidos
Por RIA RICHARDSON
¡Es oficial; ha llegado la primavera! Si todavía estás hibernando, la
música es el mejor remedio para estar
listo para el calor y el sol.
Monchy y Alexandra
“Hasta el fin”
juntos” y “Quisiera olvidarte”.
En el reino musical de grupos
como Aventura, quien estrenará su
nuevo CD “God’s Project” el 26 de
abril e intérpretes como
Frank Reyes:
este dúo se
ha establecido como
una atracción única
de la bachata.
Con la ayuda
de este CD,
“Hasta el
fin”, el nombre Monchy
y Alexandra
ha llegado a
ser un sinónimo de lo mejor que
la bachata puede ofrecer.
Así se llama esta producción.
Monchy y Alexandra seguirán
siendo el mejor dúo de la bachata
“Hasta el fin”. Con su álbum
inicial de “Hoja en blanco”, estos
dos han establecido y mantenido
su lugar en el pináculo de la bachata mientras que continuamente
disfrutamos como cambian su
sonido. Todos sus CDs suenan
distintos y esto demuestra su versatilidad y su talento musical.
Este CD está lleno de canciones
Luny Tunes & Baby Ranks
que capturan al oyente con voces
“Más flow 2”
tan fascinantes y armoniosas así
como con las líricas melodiosas y
Hay una palabra que puede
románticas. Cada canción transdescribir este CD: evolucionario.
mite un cuento que lleva a todos
“Más flow 2” incluye al pasado,
los que la escuchan a su mundo de
presente y futuro del reggaetón.
amor y deseo. La instrumentación
Con este álbum, el reggaetón
y la composición en cada canción
se ha expandido dramáticamente.
son distintas; continuamente deEl CD está lleno de influencias
sarrollando algo inesperado.
culturales. Incluye reggae jaEste álbum vale la pena porque
maiquino en “Oh Johnny” y en
además de la música, Monchy y
“Salida”, la bachata dominicana
Alexandra poseen unas voces exen la canción “Te he querido, te
traordinarias. Cada uno demueshe llorado”, una mezcla de salsa
tra su identidad y habilidad vocal
y reggaetón en “Querer y amar” y
cantando juntos y solos. Alexanhasta un sonido del medio oriente
dra muestra el ámbito y fuerza
en “Mírame”.
de su voz en
También incluye
las canciones
el sonido fuerte
“Hazme tu esy tradicional del
posa” y “Baby
reggaetón y canolvídame”.
ciones más lenMonchy utitas y sentimenliza su voz
tales incluyendo
dulce en las
“Obsession”
canciones “Los
con Frankie J y
recuerdos no
“Verme”. Hay
abrazan” y en
canciones que
“Arrancarte
saltan del inglés
de mi piel”
al español como
que parecen
“Ta to”.
un poco como
Como hay
baladas.
A u n q u e Todas las imágenes cortesía de diferentes sonidos en el álbum,
este CD es es- http://www.cduniverse.com
la selección de
timulante al
líricas varía. Algunas canciones
oído, toma tiempo para apreciar
son groseras mientras otras hablan
al nuevo estilo musical. Los que
del amor y son más emocionales.
todavía están disfrutando de su
Algunas canciones como “Salida”
última producción “Confesiones”
hablan de asuntos de la vida,
no estarán felices con la instrucomo sobreponiéndose a las admentación y sonido, porque ha
versidades.
cambiado un poco. Recomiendo
Además, “Más flow 2” fusiona
este álbum a todos porque uno
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nes incluyendo “Esperando estar
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Yankee, Ivy Queen y más. Esta
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álbum viene con un CD extra de
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Este CD es
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musical. Con los
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y la mezcla del
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Luny Tunes y
Baby Ranks han
demostrado los diferentes lados
del género. Esto ha traído más
reconocimiento y una audiencia
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Estrenos musicales
Johnny Prez
“The Prezident”
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“Una nueva mujer”
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cduniverse.com
De la primera generación en ir a la universidad
Por VERÓNICA RAMIREZ
Daniel Bartolo del duodécimo grado es
uno de los muchos estudiantes que trabajan
para poder alcanzar lo que ellos sueñan.
Después de llegar a los EE.UU. de México,
él tuvo que aprender un nuevo idioma y
enfrentarse diferentes barreras. Pero aún así
él no dejó que estas barreras lo pararan de
alcanzar y hacer su sueño realidad. Pronto
él será la primera generación en su familia
en graduarse de la secundaria y poder tener
una educación más avanzada.
Como Bartolo hay más estudiantes que
serán la primera generación en graduararse. Junior Perdomo tuvo la oportunidad
de poder salirse de la escuela porque mucho
de su tiempo estaba consumido por el
fútbol. “Los estudiantes deben tener un
deseo para la educación”, dice la profesora
de escuela secundaría Cisarroa Alejandra
Rodríguez. Pero para Perdomo fue su fe lo
que lo hizo enfocarse en sus oportunidades
educativas. “En mi punto de vista yo sé que
Dios guiará mi camino”, dice Perdomo.
En el reportaje escolar de Montgomery
del año 2002 y 2003 se reportó que 1.4 por
Estos programas pueden ser como
ciento de estudiantes se salieron de la es- las clases de AP y actividades después
cuela. La profesora educativa Rodríguez, de la escuela. Perdomo atiende el club
piensa que es el deber de ella y el de sus cristiano y estudia la Biblia. En ocasiones
colegas el mohasta el trabajo
tivar a los espuede motivar a
tudiantes, pero
los estudiantes
admiten que
a po-ner más esno lo pueden
fuerzo en la eshacer solos. “Si
cuela. “Antes,
los jóvenes hiscuando no tenía
panos tienen el
un trabajo yo
alto estima bajo,
perdía mi tiemtenemos que
po y no hacía mi
animarlos, motrabajo de la estivarlos, apoyarcuela pero aprenlos e implemendí a aprovechar
tar programas
el tiempo”, dice
que los ayuden
Bartolo.
personal y eduEstos estudcativamente.
iantes tienen que
Te n e m o s q u e Daniel Bartolo, del duodecimo grado, está es- t r a b a j a r p a r a
asegurar pro- tudiando. Foto tomada por Hannah Rosen
poder ayudar a
gramas y cursos
su familia en los
preparatorios para la universidad y que EE.UU. “Iré a Montgomery College no
sean accesibles”, Rodríguez dice.
porque no pueda entrar a escuelas más
grandes pero por razones económicas”,
dice Bartolo. Wagner Cajina del duodécimo
grado explica como él ha trabajado para
poder ayudar a su familia. “Lo hago no
porque estoy forzado a hacerlo pero porque
pienso que es lo mejor”, él dice. Aún Cajina sueña con poder tener una educación
universitaria.
El estudiante graduado, Roberto Meléndez del año escolar 2003 y 2004, hoy
estudiante de Indiana Techonlogy Institute
dice que con ganas uno puede llegar lejos en
la educación. Pero admite que muchos de
los estudiantes no están informados sobre
las becas que hay. Un ejemplo es la beca
para la primera generación de estudiantes
que asisten a la universidad.
No importa qué obstáculos existan en el
camino de los estudiantes que sueñan ser
los primeros en la familia en graduarse de la
secundaria y asistir a una universidad. “Yo
sé que al final de mi largo viaje educativo
mis padres estarán orgullosos de verme
graduado de la secundaria y yo estaré feliz
de que pude cumplir los deseos de mis
padres”, dice Bartolo.
28 SPORTS
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
RM Rockets take baseball for a ride
Despite closing RM’s lead with an intense late-game effort, Blair falls 8-11 in extra inning
Sophomore shortstop Dylan Rebois fouls off a pitch during the varsity baseball team’s April 13 game
against the Richard Montgomery Rockets, which ended in an 8-11 loss. Photo by Charlie Woo
By ELLIE BLALOCK
APRIL 13, BLAZER STADIUM—
I
n their 8-11 loss to the Richard Montgomery (RM)
Rockets, the Blazers held on
until the last minute, coming back from a three-run deficit
in the bottom of the seventh to go
into an eighth inning that lasted
until well after 10 p.m. Yet it was
not what the Blazers did in the final innings of this game that led
to the loss but rather what they
did not do in the early innings —
find crucial holes in the outfield,
communicate on routine fly balls
and keep their pitching consistent — that cost them the game.
Despite some definite mistakes on defense, much of what
brought the Blazers down was
out of their control — bad luck at
the plate included. For example,
senior Michael Sindall slammed
what was arguably the best-hit
QO outruns Blair team
ball of the night into left-centerfield and was caught trying to
turn his hit into a triple.
The Rockets needed no time
to warm up their bats, and they
came into the first inning ready
to face starting pitcher junior
Tommy Dugan, who pitched
into the fourth inning with two
strike-outs before he was moved
to center field. After two Rockets walked, a triple into left field
brought two runners in and put
RM on the scoreboard.
Blair had no answer to RM’s
two runs until the third, when
junior Miguel Noel-Nosbaum hit
a grounder to left field and advanced to second and then third
after an overthrow and a passed
ball. Dugan drove a double to
left, which scored Noel-Nosbaum.
The real damage was done
by RM in the top of the fourth,
when a walk and two botched
defensive plays loaded the bases
with only one out. Dugan hit
the next batter, which walked in
a run. At this point, Coach John
MacDonald replaced Dugan with
sophomore Adam Kopp. Another runner scored after a passed
ball, and after a walk loaded the
bases again, a tough grounder
to sophomore shortstop Dylan
Rebois sent in yet another run.
After the fourth runner of the
inning crossed the plate, Kopp
ended it with two strike-outs. In
the bottom of the fourth, Rebois
sent junior Lee Shields home on a
grounder up the middle, and junior Sam Morris scored on a balk
by the RM pitcher.
After the Rockets scored two
runs in the top of the fifth, Blair
answered with two of their own
as seniors Chris Madert and Ben
Nakamura each had an RBI. The
score was now 8-5, and the Blazers
realized it was their last chance to
stay alive. Dugan got to first on a
grounder up the middle and then
advanced to third. Nakamura
drove him in for another RBI.
Two more walks scored Simpson,
and after Nakamura stole home
and Kopp walked, the score
was tied, the bases were loaded
with only one out and Blair was
primed to pull off a come-back
win. Yet it was not to be. Rebois
sent a ground ball to third, who
threw it home to catch Sindall in
a force out. The umpire, however, made a questionable interference call, and Rebois was out
at first, sending the game into an
extra inning.
After walking the first runner of the eighth, Kopp, who had
an impressive seven total strikeouts, left the game and was replaced by junior Max Epstein.
Epstein hit a batter, and with two
on base, an RM double scored
one run which was followed by
a single, also scoring one. The inning finally came to a close with
the Rockets up 11-8 after an RM
runner stole home. Blair was
not able to mount another rally
unfortunately and saw this marathon of a ball game end after so
much effort on its part.
Blair’s next game is today at
3:30 p.m. at Magruder.
Gymnastics tumbles
Outdoor track falls short, losing 73-195
By JONAH GOLD
APRIL 12, BLAZER TRACK—
Blair’s outdoor track team lost to
Quince Orchard with a combined score
of 73-195. Blair, which only ran a few of
its fastest runners, won very few events
in the meet against the Cougars. Although Blair lost by a wide margin, the
team made progress in several events,
and key problems were recognized.
Coach Carl Lewin felt that the team
did well overall considering that the
team’s two most dominant runners,
sophomore twins Ashlyn and Halsey
Sinclair, did not run their usual races.
The Sinclair sisters are strongest when
running the distance events of 1600m
and 3200m but ran much shorter races
against the Cougars, including some
hurdles events.
The girls team lost 48-88, a score that
would normally signal a sound defeat,
but Lewin felt that the girls performed
well. “Our 4x400m team ran very well
— so well that they should be able to
be competitive at the state level,” said
Lewin. If Blair had fielded its most
competitive team, Lewin continued, the
score would have been much closer.
The boys team, on the other hand,
lost by a score of 25-107 mostly because
of poor hand-offs. “Hand-offs have
been an issue all year,” said junior Josh
Gist.
The 4x200m team highlighted this
problem: During one of the last legs of
the race, the receiver of the baton began
to run at a full sprint even though he
had not received the hand-off. The runner was forced to slow down, get the
baton and accelerate again. By the end
of the ordeal, Quince Orchard had gone
from 50m behind to almost 25m in front
and eventually won the event.
Lewin said that teams will soon
start practicing relay drills at least
every other day in order to solve this
problem, which plagued indoor track
as well. “We need to get every person
on the team serviceable at passing and
receiving the baton,” said Lewin. The
boys team’s best events today were the
4x100m, in which Blair came in first,
and the 4x400m, a relay in which several runners set individual records.
Pacing was also an issue for many
runners today. “Many people came
out way too fast, and they weren’t finishing,” said Lewin. He believes that
by addressing pacing and hand-offs,
the team will score better in upcoming
meets. “Our team has the physical ability, but we need to be more disciplined
in order to really compete,” continued
Lewin.
Sophomore Josh Uzzell, another important runner for Blair, had a rough
meet, adding nine seconds to his 1600m
time, bringing it up to 4:53 from his
personal record of 4:44 set earlier this
year. Uzzell felt his times should vary
by three seconds at the most, but he explained that he had gotten out of shape
due to an injury this winter.
Despite the loss, Lewin was pleased
by the results of the meet, saying that
the team was “right there with Quince
Orchard” and “had a couple good
events.”
Gist was very optimistic about the
team’s prospects for the rest of the season. “Now we know the things that
we have to work on, and hopefully we
will get to it. We are a good team, and
I don’t doubt that eventually we will be
able to compete with the traditionally
good teams of track.”
Blair track’s next meet will be at
home against Seneca Valley on Tuesday, April 26, at 3:30 p.m.
Sophomore Nicole Poor does a backflip during a gymnastics practice on April 14.
The team lost its first meet to Blake, 106.35-162.5. Photo by Hannah Rosen
By CLAIR BRIGGS
APRIL 8, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM—
Blair’s girls gymnastics team lost their
first meet of the season to Blake on Friday,
April 8. Despite the absence of several
gymnasts, the Blazers managed to finish
the meet with 106.35 points. The Bengals
scored 162.5 points, however, winning the
meet and starting Blair’s season record
with 0-1.
The Blazers entered the match without co-captain junior Raya Steinberg, who
could not compete because of an ankle injury. Sophomore Lisa Wong, Blair’s leading scorer and the only Blazer to make the
2004 All-County and All-Gazette gymnastics teams last season, was also absent,
further challenging the Blazers’ chances of
success.
The Blazers performed solidly despite
the absence of these key gymnasts but
were unable to place in the top three in
any event, a handicap that greatly reduced
the number of points that the team could
earn. However, the Blazers did achieve
several top-six finishes.
Sophomore
Nicole Poor did the best out of the Blazers
present, placing fifth in both the beam and
all-around competitions.
Co-captain junior Rose Feinberg took
sixth in the all-around event, and junior
Edra Brisbane and freshman Courtney
Forbes finished sixth in the vault and floor
competitions, respectively.
Despite the Blazers’ loss, coach Paul
Belliveau felt proud of the team’s performance. “We had several girls competing
for the first time ever,” he said, adding that
despite the Blazers’ relative inexperience,
they were able to pull together as a team.
“Everyone supported each other and did
great,” Belliveau said.
Feinberg said that she was disappointed with the loss, but she expects that the
team will improve as the season progresses. “We knew from the beginning that
Blake was a much more experienced team
than us,” she explained, “but in terms of
our gymnasts’ individual ability, everyone
did so well. We have a whole season in
front of us.”
The Blazers’ next competition is scheduled to occur tomorrow, April 22. They
will be hosting the Walter Johnson Wildcats at 4 p.m.
silverCHIPS
SPORTS 29
April 21, 2005
Coed volleyball defeated by Eagles
Key absences and inconsistent play hurt Blazers’ efforts during 1-3 loss to Seneca Valley
By ANTHONY GLYNN
APRIL 12, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM—
As in their last home game, the Blazers
were without their star setter. As in their
last away game, they started slow. But
while the last times they pulled wins, this
time, the team could not revive itself after
the first set. In a disappointing game,
Blair’s coed volleyball team (3-2) lost to
the Seneca Valley Eagles 1-3 (23-25, 25-19,
16-26, 25-21).
Coach John Mott foresaw a “tough
game” for the Blazers. Freshman setter
Julie Zhu missed the game, and a few key
players were late to warm-ups. To counter the inexperience of sophomore setter
Christie Lin, who was playing in Zhu’s
place, Mott placed senior co-captain Zack
Koerper opposite Lin in case she needed
assistance during play. Before the game,
Mott said he viewed Seneca Valley (4-1) as
a more solid team than the last few Blair
had encountered.
Koerper, Lin and senior co-captain Kristina Yang played the whole game. All three
played hard but with less accuracy and
organization than usual. “We were having
trouble working as a team,” said Lin. “We
didn’t warm up to our potential, and we
didn’t have much energy. We weren’t as
focused.” The lack of focus resulted in less
consistency and power than usual in Blair
serves; the Blazers netted a considerable
number of serves and scored few aces.
The Blazers played catch-up for much of
the match and were unable to take the lead
at all in the first set. Even with the Seneca
Valley players’ uncontrolled serve-receive
play, the Blazers’ lack of consistency during
serves prevented them from scoring the
long runs they needed to win the match.
In spite of Seneca Valley’s height advantage, many of the Blazers’ points came from
their spikes. Blair’s strength improvement
from earlier games helped to compensate
for weak serving. The Blazers hit three
consecutive kills early in the first set, but
Seneca Valley’s blockers began adjusting
to Blair’s offense as the match went on and
allowed fewer kills.
The Blazers’ passing also faltered as the
first set continued. Only when they were
down 13-6 in the first set did the Blazers
start making accurate passes and clearly
communicating on plays; within five minutes, they were at 14-12. The Seneca Valley
coach then called a timeout, which ended
Blair’s run. The majority of points during
the remainder of the set came from junior
Adrian Cretzu’s strong spikes.
Blair’s energy became more obvious in
the second set, and the Blazers managed a
25-19 win. Blair was down in the third set
from the onset and lost 16-25. In the fourth
set, exhaustion and frustration compounded with stress from many disputed calls to
turn Blair’s 18-21 lead into a 25-21 deficit
within five minutes, sealing the game for
Seneca Valley.
Mott felt that the Blazers’ play was less
consistent than expected. “We couldn’t
serve, pass or serve-receive,” said Mott.
Koerper agreed with Mott, adding,
“Those are all the components to a solid
game. It looked like we were sleeping.”
Coed volleyball plays Wheaton today
at 5:15 p.m. at home.
Nationals vs. Orioles
By DAN GREENE
Most of the great enigmas
in my life have been solved
by this point: which deity to
follow to the Promised Land,
whether to reach for Pepsi or
Coke, which CSI to watch; that
sort of thing. Over the next
few weeks, something just as
earth-shattering as the soft
drink debate will be addressed
by millions of Washingtonians,
myself included. I’m conflicted, like thousands of other
fans. As America’s Pastime
springs back into action, a line
is being drawn in the sand for
me and everyone else, and we
have to choose on which side
to stand: Nats or O’s?
Maybe I’m being a little
overdramatic; it’s perfectly
reasonable to try to compromise by testing the waters of
both audiences. To be blunt
though, this is the weakling’s
way out. Do you see any New
Yorkers wearing a Mets jersey
with a Yankees cap or any
Pennsylvania residents making
a Roethlisberger for their newborn son Donovan? I think not.
We have to pick a side.
The O’s definitely have
years of my loyalty, even if
it has been quite strained of
late. After the Senators left us,
everyone in the area grew up
watching the black and orange
Two Nats run in an April 17
game. Photo by Eric Hysen
duke it out with — well, frankly, be consistently beat downand outclassed by — their
storied AL East rivals from
New York and Boston. Even
so, who doesn’t love a trip up
to Camden Yards, still one of
the best places in the country
to see a baseball game?
One thing the Orioles definitely have over their new
enemies are the faces that keep
bringing us back to the Yard.
Cal Ripken is long gone, but
his Ironman story is still the
O’s best. This season they’ll
start powerhouses like Miguel
Tejada — who, were he on a
playoff team, could have made
a serious bid for MVP last year
— and seminal (if fading) hitter
Sammy Sosa, newly acquired
from the Cubs.
But hey, one traded, tarnished Dominican is a lot more
than the no-names we’ve got
for the Nats. The fact of the
matter is, you have to do some
research to name the Nats’
starters, and even then I bet
you can’t give me a telling statistic or anecdote about any of
these nameless players. With
a few exceptions, these are the
same mediocre exported Expos
that failed to draw even a quiet
crowd in Montreal.
The ownership issue is still
unresolved; as of now the
Nats are still the orphan sons
of baseball. Hopefully a real
owner will come into the picture, someone who can stand
toe-to-toe with Orioles’ head
Peter Angelos. Through all
this ugliness, Angelos claimed
sole baseball television rights
from the Pennsylvania border
to North Carolina. Even with
the $30 million compensatory
package his organization will
see MLB page 31
Sophomore Allen Zhang goes up for a block against a Damascus hitter during
the Blazers’ April 5 win over the Swarmin’ Hornets. Photo by Hannah Rosen
Wootton serves Blair a loss
Blazers handed first defeat by division rival Patriots
By NICK FALGOUT
APRIL 13, BLAIR COURTS—
The boys tennis team received
its first loss of the season to the
talented Wootton Patriots in heartbreaking fashion. On a pair of
very winnable matches, Blair lost
the match 4-3, falling to 3-1 for
the season.
In the first and ultimately
decisive match, sophomore singles player Eric Su dropped two
straight sets to Wootton junior
Grant Houghton after winning the
first set. The second and more disappointing loss involved the first
Freshman Michael Hsu serves during the Blazers’ win against
the Rockville Rams on March 21. Photo by Adam Schuyler
doubles team of senior Edward
Hsieh and junior Gregory Howard
losing their match despite having
a three-games-to-none lead in the
third set. Singles players freshman Michael Hsu and sophomore
Jordan Fein and the doubles team
of juniors Michael Tsai and Andy
Jiang accounted for the only Blair
wins of the match. Hsu and Fein
both dispatched their singles opponents in straight sets (6-3, 6-0
and 6-4, 6-0, respectively), while
the doubles team ended on the
winning side of a close match (75, 5-7, 6-4).
Coach David Ngbea was disappointed with the team’s performance. “We should have won
5-2,” said Ngbea of the match. He
added that only the first singles
match, which sophomore Hailiu
Yang lost 6-1, 6-0, and the third
doubles match, which juniors
James Wallace and Anirudh Babu
lost 6-0, 6-2, should have ended
as losses.
Ngbea was particularly upset
with the performance of his first
doubles team. Up three games to
none in the third set of the match
with a break point to go up four
games to none, Blair captain Hsieh
hit a backhand shot into the net,
which forced a deuce that Wootton eventually turned into a win.
The pair, Hsieh and Howard, were
on serve for the fifth game, but
double-faulted the entire game
to give Wootton the serve back
with the set score at three games
to two.
The loss was also the first in
the division for the Blazers this
year, who fell to 1-1 in divisional
play. What was supposed to be
a rebuilding year for the netmen
has started off rather well despite
the tough loss.
Blair’s next match is today at
Bethesda-Chevy Chase at 3:30
p.m.
30 SPORTS
silverCHIPS
April 21, 2005
Playing through pain for athletic gain
For Blazers with injuries, the need to compete outweighs potential long-term damage
to let down the always honest about the pain they endure
team.” The po- because of their competitive natures. Setential danger of nior Michael Wright seriously pulled his
failing to recuper- hamstring during a game against Springate from a concus- brook on Sept. 18 of last fall, but he chose
sion did not faze to “suck it up,” accept the risks and hide
him until the sec- some of his pain from his coach. Although
he only returned to play briefly, he contribond injury.
If an athlete uted to a key offensive play.
All Blair coaches, including Gibb and
isn’t fully healed
after a concus- Seals, require a doctor’s note in order for a
sion, a second seriously injured athlete to return to play.
concussion can re- But in borderline cases, this crucial decisult in permanent sion may be left to the athlete to make.
brain
damage,
A will to win
neurosurgeon
Brian Hunt says
When senior Erica Nowak first sprained
in a 2003 Pediatric
News article. The her ankle during a lacrosse game in 2002,
NSKC states that she returned to play two days later against
brain injury is her doctor’s warnings. Having neglected
the leading cause her injury, though, she now suffers the
of sports-related painful consequences.
As a captain of the girls varsity lacrosse
death.
F o r t u n a t e l y, team, Nowak justifies her decision to play
Beach’s injuries with a strong desire to win. “I didn’t really
did not cause listen to [my doctor’s] advice,” she admits.
permanent dam- “Winning was more important.”
Three years after the injury, Nowak’s
age or prevent
him from playing weakened ankle now requires care and aton the team this tention in order to avoid further damage.
Senior Erica Nowak gets her ankle wrapped by a Blair athletic trainer, junior Adam MacLeod, before la- spring, thanks to She attends weekly physical therapy sescrosse practice on April 12. Nowak’s injury requires constant care and attention. Photo by Hannah Rosen intense physical sions, wears a supportive brace and must
therapy. But his routinely ice her ankle after exercising.
By SARA PIERCE
to fulfilling team obligations. According coach, social studies teacher Robert Gibb,
Although Nowak admits that the pain
to a 2004 report from the National Safe worries that too many athletes like Beach can still be unbearable at times, she says
s the final minutes of the fourth Kids Campaign (NSKC), overuse injuries “try to soldier on” and ignore the risks. her doctor’s suggestion to stop playing is
quarter slip away, senior An- — which occur over time from repeated “It’s one thing to get
even less tolerable. “It’s
drew Beach sprints down the motion and can stem from poor training or bruised and beat up,
gotten to the point where
field, cradling the lacrosse ball inadequate healing after an injury — are but it’s another thing
I need major physical
in his stick and searching for an opportu- responsible for nearly half of all sports in- to get a severe injury,”
therapy and maybe even
nity to score against Sherwood on May 1 of juries in middle and high school students. Gibb says. “It’s a high
surgery,” says Nowak.
last year. Without warning, an opponent At Blair, loyalty to the team and the need school sports event, for
“But as much as I apdecks him from the side, sending Beach to compete keeps many students playing a God’s sake.”
preciate what the doctor
into a flip. His flight ends abruptly when sport even when injured, sometimes leavtells me, sitting out the
Security guard Jefhis skull smashes against the ground. He ing themselves vulnerable to long-term frey Seals, coach of the
season is really not an
lies motionless on his back.
complications.
varsity football team,
-senior Erica Nowak option.”
Just four days before, Beach, a junior
English teacher Miagrees that it’s better
at the time, had suffered a concussion in
Pushing their limits
chael Horne, the girls
to be on the safe side
a game against Magruder. This second
varsity lacrosse coach,
when dealing with inepisode resulted in two broken ribs and
Beach’s doctor suggested that he take juries. “If it could seriously damage them takes Nowak seriously when she comanother concussion, bringing his season to seven to 10 days to recover from his first for life, then it’s not worth it,” he says. plains about ankle pain while playing.
concussion. But Beach decided to sideline “You’re not helping the team anyway, be- He notes that the athletic department’s
an end.
For Beach and many other dedicated his health instead of being sidelined in the cause you’re not giving 100 percent.”
athletes, health often becomes secondary Sherwood game because he “didn’t want
Seals realizes that his players are not
see INJURIES page 31
A
“Sitting out the
season is really
not an option.”
After early lead, lax can’t handle Warrior attack
By ERIK KOJOLA
APRIL 13, BLAZER STADIUM—
The Blair girls varsity lacrosse
team was up 4-1 midway through
the first half of their match-up
against the Sherwood Warriors.
By halftime, Sherwood had
scored two goals, putting them
within one point of Blair’s four.
In the second half, Sherwood’s
offense took charge, scoring five
unanswered goals and cementing
their 8-4 victory over the Blazers.
Initially, Blair controlled the
tempo of the game, keeping the
ball in their offensive territory
for much of the first half. After
a timeout late into the half, however, the Sherwood team came
out with a vengeance, putting
up two quick goals in the waning minutes of the half, starting a
seven-goal scoring spree.
The fast Sherwood team wore
down the Blazers, who were unable to maintain their transition
and offensive play throughout
the game. Sherwood never let
up, despite being down three
goals at one point, and were able
to put away the Blazers in the
second half. The Blazers were
led offensively by junior Maddie
Driskill who scored two goals,
while sophomore Devon Madison contributed two assists, both
to Driskill. Senior co-captains
Erica Nowak and Lauren Finkel
scored a goal apiece.
Sherwood found the back of
the net first at the 23:06 mark of
the first half on an unassisted
goal. However, Blair would respond with four straight goals.
Finkel, Blair’s leading scorer with
15 goals in the last five games,
scored several minutes later on
a drive through the Sherwood
defense. A minute later, Finkel
would find Nowak open on the
crease. Nowak then buried the
shot in the back of the net. Four
minutes later, Driskill would
score off a feed from Madison.
The two girls would connect for
another goal several minutes
later as Driskill scored off a pass
from Madison.
At this point the Blazers were
up 4-1 with 12 minutes left in the
first half. However, Sherwood
would close out the half with two
goals in the last three minutes,
even after senior goalkeeper Betsy Costilo made several saves.
The second half saw a different
Blazer squad as they were shut
out while allowing Sherwood
five goals. Sherwood quickly
scored two goals and took a onegoal lead, which would prove to
be enough for the Warriors. Blair
was unable to get ground balls
and maintain possession, while
the defense could not withstand
the relentless Sherwood attack.
Senior Christina Ji had an excellent game on defense, making
several strong take-away checks
and runs up the field.
With the Sherwood matchup the Blazers finished the first
quarter of their season with a
respectable 2-2 record, considering the concern at the beginning
of the season was that the Blazers
would not be able to recover from
the loss of a talented group of seniors last year. However, several
sophomore players have stepped
up this year to be key players for
Blair, including Madison, Dana
Ballard and Jessie Hallberlin.
Blair’s next game will be at
Damascus on Saturday, April 23
at 12:00 p.m.
On her way to the goal, junior Maddie Driskill, right, catches a pass over a defender in the girls lacrosse game against Einstein on April 6. The Blazers beat the Titans, 15-5. Photo by Charlie Woo
silverCHIPS
SPORTS 31
April 21, 2005
Volleyball clips Eagles’ wings
MLB
Varsity boys v-ball triumphs over Seneca Valley for fifth straight win
in D.C.
By KRISTINA YANG
from MLB page 29
receive, Angelos made life
difficult for the Nationals.
Unfortunately, things
went just how Angelos
wanted. The O’s get the
majority of profits from the
newly created Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which
will air 76 Nats games.
The Nats and their owners
(okay, just Major League
Baseball) will get a paltry
rights fee of $21 million
and 10 percent of network
profits, increasing to 33
percent in 20 years time.
On top of all this, we’ll
have to catch the game in
a crumbling stadium for
three years until we can
head down to the urban
splendor that is the Anacostia waterfront, to a stadium that will have bankrupted the city by the time
it opens. Assuming it opens
on time.
But even if it doesn’t,
just imagine for a minute
taking the Metro down to a
game on a gorgeous Washington summer day decked
out in Nats gear, instead of
slogging it to Baltimore.
Imagine having a team
that is all D.C.’s, not having to share with anyone
else. Imagine baseball fever gripping a city that has
been vaccinated against it
for so long. Because, out
of all the controversy that
surrounded the birth of
the Nationals, I think that’s
what matters most: They’re
our Nats. After 30 years
away, baseball is back in
D.C., and it’s here to stay.
APRIL 12, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM—
After starting the season 4-0
without losing a single set, the
varsity boys volleyball team has
proved itself to be one of Blair’s
strongest spring teams. Despite
not playing their best game, the
Blazers defeated Seneca Valley’s
Screamin’ Eagles 25-22, 25-15 and
25-17, adding a fifth win to their
season.
Both teams began the first
match of the night on shaky
ground, trading possession of the
ball after only a few points and
littering the game with errors.
The Blazers had trouble passing
serves, which made it difficult for
senior Paul Wong and sophomore
Tim Lee to accurately set up plays.
Although the Blazers were able to
slam 10 kills to the Eagles’ court,
they also sent seven hits into the
net or out of bounds and fumbled
several blocked hits.
Thankfully for the Blazers,
however, they were not the only
team to stumble; Seneca Valley
made numerous errors as well,
including four netted plays, four
missed serves and four overpasses
that were immediately shot down
by the Blazers. Furthermore, the
Eagles’ hitting power was not as
strong or versatile as that of Blair,
and though it took the Blazers
several rallies to adjust to Seneca
Valley’s strong block, they were
able to hang onto a three-point
lead that ultimately gave them
the match.
While both Blair and Seneca
Valley struggled equally in the
first match, the Blazers began
pulling together in the second
while the Eagles continued to
struggle. The second match was
largely defined by Seneca Valley’s
Senior Peter Bullen blocks a Damascus hitter’s attack during the varsity boys volleyball team’s
three-set home victory over the Hornets, which took place on April 5. Photo by Hannah Rosen
mistakes, with six missed serves
and five carries alone giving Blair
11 easy points. While the Blazers
also handed Seneca Valley nine
free points, sophomore Jay Chang
balanced out those mistakes with
a nine-point serving run midway
through the match. Chang scored
four of the match’s eight Blair
aces, an unusually high number
that gave Blair an insurmountable
lead and allowed them to easily
win the match.
The Eagles pulled back together for the third match, serving up
a seven-point run to compensate
for Blair’s early 8-4 lead. Wong
led the Blazers back into action
with a six-point run of his own,
however, and Blair never looked
back after regaining the upper
hand. The Blazers put three aces
and seven kills on the scoreboard,
and Seneca Valley’s 10 missed hits
and two missed serves gave Blair
another 12 points. Even though
the Eagles stepped up their frontrow defense and went for everything, their scrappy play and solid
block could not quite compensate
for their offensive miscalculations and Blair’s stronger hitters.
Sophomore Maxim Wolf ended
the match with a swift, perfect
tip straight into the center of the
Eagle’s defensive hole, giving the
game to the Blazers.
Despite Blair’s triumph, coach
Blazers choose sports over health
primary concern is the health of the athlete. “We try to err on the side of caution
without over-limiting the player. We make
decisions in the best interest of the player,”
he says.
James Gardiner, an orthopedic surgeon
who specializes in sports medicine at the
Metro Orthopedic and Sports Therapy
(MOST) Center in Silver Spring, acknowledges the challenges of balancing health
and the demands of the game. But, he
says, “The athletes have a responsibility to
themselves to recognize their symptoms,
and physicians have a responsibility to
treat their patients honestly. As long as
they can return to the sport without jeopardizing their health, we encourage them.”
As coaches try to keep their players
safe, they may need additional resources
to help prevent and treat injuries.
Injury expertise
The NSKC estimates that half of all
organized-sports related injuries among
teenagers can be prevented with appropriate conditioning. Gardiner points out
that he treats overuse injuries almost every day at MOST, the majority of which are
a result of inadequate preparation in the
Graphic by Camille Mackler
from INJURIES page 30
off-season. Gardiner says that “pre-habilitation” — stretching, strengthening and
other conditioning in the pre-season — is
the “best way to diminish the injury rate”
during the season.
Blair is offering a new health elective,
Sports Medicine and Management, which
teaches a similar philosophy. Physical
Education teacher Louis Hoelman, who
created the course, teaches students about
the anatomy and physiology of the joints,
muscles, ligaments and tendons so that
students can learn how to prevent, care for
and rehabilitate injuries. The ultimate goal
of the course is to certify students in CPR
and first aid, so that they can volunteer as
certified student athletic trainers for all of
Blair’s sports teams. A student trainer is
knowledgeable about sports injury prevention and can assess and treat certain
types of injuries.
Junior Adam MacLeod, who is currently enrolled in the course, recently began working as an athletic trainer for the
varsity girls lacrosse team. In addition
to offering students community service
hours and valuable hands-on experience
in athletic training, the new program benefits the team’s performance. “It lets the
coaches focus more on the game,” MacLeod says. “I deal with the injuries, and
they coach the team.”
Speaking from experience as the varsity
girls softball coach, Hoelman feels that all
of Blair’s teams could benefit from having
access to a trainer. “High-school athletes
are so young that their bodies can recover
quickly,” he says. “But if athletic injuries
aren’t treated right away and handled
properly, [athletes] can be haunted later in
life.”
JJ Rathnam felt that his team could
have played much better against
Seneca Valley. “It was really
sloppy,” he said of the game. “We
were mentally not there. There’s
no real excuse; we were just slow
on the court.”
However, Rathnam added that
he is glad the Blazers were still
able to take the victory, a view
shared by senior co-captain James
Lee. “We did really badly,” Lee
said, “but we’re still one of the few
teams that can say that and go 3-0.
As long as we pull through when
it’s 26-24, it’s fine.”
The Blazers’ next game will occur today at 3:30 p.m. They will be
hosting the Wheaton Knights.
jvJOURNAL
Baseball
By ELLIE BLALOCK
The JV baseball team (4-0) has
found success despite early worries
about the inexperience of its many
freshmen starters. According to
coach Richard Porac, every member
of the team is currently batting over
.400, and sophomore first-baseman
Jason Meer is batting a team-high
.545. Defense, another early concern, has become a strong point. “I
was concerned because we’ve got
young guys playing new positions,”
said Porac. In their 13-4 victory over
Richard Montgomery on April 13,
the Blazers had no errors.
Softball
By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
The JV softball team has opened
up the season with a 3-1 record.
Managed by Kristin Werdann, the
team has already pulled out several high-scoring wins this season,
including a 21-4 clubbing of Walter
Johnson on April 7. Sophomores
Alexia Paleologos and Danielle
McClay have led the team using
their experience and skills on the
diamond to guide this freshmanheavy team to a nice start out of the
gate this season. They will continue
their campaign this afternoon at 3:30
p.m. when they host Magruder.
CHIPS
April 21, 2005
silverchips.mbhs.edu/sports
Lax falls flat against Blake
attack. “Our offense is
stagnant,” said Gibb.
“We throw the ball, and
then we stand there.”
Slow offense in their
past three matches has
seen the Blazers outscored 14-26.
The Blazers started
off slow, allowing Blake
to score four goals in the
first quarter. But as the
defense tightened, the
Blazers drew even with
Blake in the second half.
However, Blair’s offense
could not finish the job
as they failed to convert
scoring opportunities
into points and committed costly turnovers.
This is not to say that
the Blazers are a fully
ineffective team. Senior co-captain Andrew
Beach put up two goals
against Blake, with senior Chris Stavish and
sophomore Nick Mozer
Senior Nathan Barrymore defends a Poolesville attack on March 21. Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
adding a goal apiece.
through a ragged Blair midfield and shod- In a Spring Break tournament, senior coBy LAUREN FINKEL
dy defense — noticeably missing junior Ian captain Justin Hoy had a four-goal run.
APRIL 15, BLAKE—
Procter — to shoot practically on top of And against Einstein, the Blazer defense
allowed just three goals.
Blair goalie senior Andrew Helgeson.
he Bengals proved to be the supeThe trouble for the Blazers stems from
Originally touted as the strength of
rior team in their showdown with this year’s squad, the Blazer defense has their inability to perform well as a unit,
the boys’ varsity lacrosse squad struggled in the last few games to back according to Hoy. “Sometimes the defense
tonight, outgunning Blair 4-8 and up Helgeson and successfully keep out has a good game, sometimes it’s the middropping the Blazers to 1-3 this season.
opposing teams’ scorers. In last week’s field, but we never play together as a team.
It was obvious which side had the stron- match-up against Sherwood, Helgeson’s People do well, but as a team we can’t pull
ger squad within the first two minutes of 22 saves were a result of poor team defense off a win,” Hoy explained.
play. Blake put two on the board without that allowed the Warrior’s attackmen to
Hopefully the Blazers will be able to
giving the Blazers a chance to catch their repeatedly get within shooting range.
pull together for their next game on April
breaths, scoring in the first two minutes off
Coach Robert Gibb feels the Blazers 23. The boys will travel to Damascus for a
of consecutive draws. The Blake attack ran are struggling to move the ball on the 10 a.m. match-up.
T
Upcoming
games
Home games are in bold.
Baseball
4/21 at Magruder, 3:30 p.m.
4/23 at Sherwood, 1:30 p.m.
Softball
4/21 at Magruder, 3:30 p.m.
4/23 at Sherwood, 1:30 p.m.
Boys Volleyball
4/21 vs Wheaton, 3:30 p.m.
4/25 vs Churchill, 3:30 p.m.
Track and Field
4/26 vs Seneca Valley, 3:30 p.m.
5/11 County B meet at Whitman,
3:30 p.m.
Boys Lacrosse
4/23 at Damascus, 10 a.m.
4/27 vs Kennedy, 3:30 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse
4/23 at Damascus, 12 p.m.
4/27 vs Kennedy, 5:30 p.m.
Boys Tennis
4/21 at B-CC, 3:30 p.m.
4/25 vs QO, 3:30 p.m.
Coed Volleyball
4/21 vs Wheaton, 5:15 p.m.
4/25 at Churchill, 5:15 p.m.
Gymnastics
4/22 vs WJ, 4 p.m.
4/26 at Springbrook, 6 p.m.
insideSPORTS
Whose side are you on?
see page 29
The Nationals and Orioles vie for
local fans’ loyalty this spring.
Photo courtesy of the AP
Down but not out
see page 30
Blazer athletes make the painful
decision to play through injuries.
Eagles spike coed volleyball
see page 29
Blair goes down hard in four sets.
Photo by Hannah Rosen
Rockets halt softball’s hot streak
Blazers battle but lose extra-inning thriller to Richard Montgomery
By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
APRIL 13, BLAZER FIELD—
The Blazers were in foreign
territory tonight, needing a
comeback in the last inning but
responding instead by tying up a
game they had trailed in since the
third batter. Blair (6-1), unable to
get one final hit, eventually lost
in extra innings to Richard Montgomery (RM), 3-6. It was Blair’s
first loss of 2005.
Trailing 1-3 in the bottom
of the seventh inning with one
batter already out, the Blazers
played with urgency and smarts.
Senior Emily O’Brien set the tone
in the inning, drawing a walk following a tense eight-pitch plate
appearance. A pitch then hit
sophomore Shante Henderson,
and sophomore Annie Denenberg singled to load the bases.
Blair did not fold even after sophomore Anna Szapiro
grounded to the pitcher and
sophomore Maggie Sullivan,
pinch running for O’Brien, was
thrown out for the second out.
Rather, junior Sara Pierce came
through with a clutch hit for
the Blazers, ripping a stinging
double to left field that scored
sophomore pinch-runner Elizabeth Scroggs and Denenberg to
tie the game.
But with two runners on,
sophomore Juliet Garlow struck
out to end the inning. RM (4-2)
then took advantage of tiring
sophomore Michelle Linford,
who pitched all eight innings
for Blair tonight, getting three
runs off her in the eighth, the
Sophomore Michelle Linford bats on April 13. Linford pitched eight
innings in the 3-6 loss to RM. Photo by Nathaniel Lichten
difference in the final score.
Blair — hurt by the absence
of junior leadoff hitter Sarah
Rumbaugh, out with a sore ankle
— was put in a hole from the outset, when RM’s Kayla Harrison
hit a triple and scored off a hit
by the next batter. But after that,
Linford began to settle down,
and as she and RM ace Candace
Thompson got into a groove, the
game breezed by.
The Blazers went down onetwo-three in the first three innings, and Harrison had a perfect game through nearly four
innings, until Linford broke it up
with a single. Thompson then
proceeded to strike out the Blazers in the fifth. Linford was also
solid from the second through
fifth innings, allowing just three
hits and no runs.
Entering the game, the Blair
coaching staff felt that the team
who made the fewest defensive
mistakes would emerge the winner. But Blair still lost despite
committing only one error to
RM’s two. Said Blair manager
Louis Hoelman, “I was proud
of our defense tonight, but I also
told them that we relied on our
defense too much tonight because we couldn’t get hits.”
Thompson allowed only three
runs, and she struck out nine
Blazers in eight innings. “She’s
one of the best pitchers in the
county,” Hoelman said.
The Blazers’ first loss was an
emotional roller coaster, according to Hoelman, especially late in
the game. “As high as we were
in the seventh, we were just as
low in the eighth.”