Frisbee club agreement reached, Ice Hockey still revoked

The Frisbee Club regained use of the fields Monday, Jan. 10, entitling the club to bypass a fee required by clubs that are not school-sanctioned. However, both the Frisbee and Ice Hockey clubs are still not sponsored by the SGA, according to SGA President Sebastian Johnson.

In accordance with a county policy prohibiting athletic clubs that compete with private organizations from being school-sponsored, the Frisbee and Ice Hockey clubs cannot receive funding from the SGA, sell pizza or be featured in Silverlogue.

Juniors Emily May and Lily Jaffie-Shupe, co-captains of the Frisbee club, received permission for the Frisbee club to continue using the practice field after discussing the issue with Principal Phillip Gainous and Johnson. "We had a meeting with Gainous and Johnson, who told us about rules of field use and directed us to Mr. [Dale] Miller," said Jaffie-Shupe.

Miller, the Blair Athletic Director, who coordinates with the Maryland - National Capital Park and Planning Commission to designate field usage, allowed the Frisbee Club to use the field. "He was very accommodating," commented Jaffie-Shupe. "The only exception is that we can't take precedence over Blair teams."

Jaffie-Shupe said she understood why the club would not be allowed sponsorship. "We are not a Blair club; we are a part of a Washington area Frisbee organization," she explained.

May expressed submission about the outcome of the situation. "The school has done what they can. They're just following county policy," she said. "It's too bad we're not school-sanctioned and we can't be in the yearbook, but there doesn't seem to be anything we can do."

Gainous vetoed the Ice Hockey Club's constitution on the grounds of previous events, said SGA President Sebastian Johnson. The Ice Hockey Club was previously canceled because an injured hockey player sued Montgomery County Public Schools for liability. "This year, they tried to get [SGA] approval, but Gainous vetoed the constitution," said Johnson.

The Ice Hockey Club will attempt to overturn the administration's decision. "We're trying to get recognized by the school," said Ice Hockey Club Assistant Captain Nathan Barrymore. "Our first step is to talk to Johnson and work things out, then discuss it with Gainous. If that doesn't work, we'll have to go to the next level," he said.

Other Blair clubs that do not comply with the county's policy could also be canceled. "Depending on what clubs that are in violation of the policy, [SGA] will revoke them," said Johnson. He also said that if a revoked club changed so as to not be in violation of county policy, the SGA and administration would reinstate the club. Johnson said that he and Gainous will go over which clubs are in violation soon.

Revoking after-school clubs that compete with other organizations could end many programs that are popular in the Blair community. "It is unfortunate yet necessary," said Johnson. The SGA has not yet talked about possible compensations for the lost clubs. "I will discuss [options] with the executive board and my SGA officers," Johnson explained.

Johnson stressed the importance of complying with the county's policy over of issuing punishment to Blazers. "This isn't about punishing anybody; it's about adhering to county policy."