America's culture has teens constantly plugged into their headphones and cells, listening to the latest tunes or watching videos on YouTube. But for some Blazers, American entertainment has its limits.
If anyone has ever wondered what "High School Musical" would be like without the musical part, the answer has arrived. "17 Again," starring the golden Zac Efron and sour-looking Matthew Perry (it's been a while since "Friends") is just another high school flick, but incorporates the age-old movie mantra of reliving the past. The idea is cliché, but "17 Again" has enough cringe-worthy moments and smooth acting to make the movie a simple tween flick.
The National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) will be holding its annual national college fair on April 15 and 16 at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center. The fair will feature representatives from various institutions and hold special sessions and presentations regarding the college admissions process.
Professional storyteller and Blair parent Noa Baum performed her show "A Land Twice Promised" in the auditorium during sixth period yesterday. Her performance centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, using dialogue and stories told from perspectives of her and her family and friends, both Palestinian and Israeli.
With only a few days until the 81st Annual Academy Awards, Mr. Oscar is busy tidying up to look his finest for Sunday night's show. Meanwhile, the rest of us gabber in grocery lines, make clamor in the classroom and raise hullabaloo in the hallways over who will take home the bronze statues. Will "Slumdog Millionaire" have the Oscar shocker its producers are praying for? Can the late Heath Ledger even win an Oscar? And exactly how curious will this case of "Benjamin Button" get?
In a whirlwind of glitzy costumes, drama queens, a tricky teen and foolish men, the local Lumina Studio theater presented "Open Windows," packed with everything that could possibly fit in one show - lies, mischievousness, murder, clandestine romance and ridiculous humor.
During a financial crisis, you would think that marketing crews with Super Bowl ad spots would come out guns-blazing. They are paying $3 million a pop for a mere 30 seconds of screen time. Unfortunately, the commercials could not match up to the great game this year, disappointing viewers after a glorious year for advertisements in 2008.
Blair's second winter concert, featuring the Blazer Choir, InToneNation, the Chamber Choir guitar ensemble and the symphonic orchestra featured fun and foreign songs of a wide variety – from the soft and lilting to the haunting and sad to the upbeat and cheerful. These engaging tunes, coupled with conductors Dustin M. Doyle and Paul Newport's desire to include audience involvement, resulted in an intimate and warm concert.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was a lighthearted tale, meant to be a humorous "what if?" But screenwriter Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump") enriches this tale of a man born old, living life in the opposite direction to everyone around him, and dying an infant – transforming a simple narrative into a mesmerizing and timeless chronicle of emotion, humanity and magic.
With the expanding popularity of music networking sites, the Internet has replaced radio as the dominant source of new music over radio. As a result, the rise of Facebook, YouTube and MySpace has launched an era of interconnectivity and expression - and anyone with Internet access can connect. Although a plethora of music social networking sites are available, Silver Chips Online is here with a review of some of the most popular, overhyped and underrated music networking sites.
Dark, twisted and conflicted seem to be the new fad for leading men these days. After the somber Bruce Wayne and the brooding Bruce Banner of the summer, Daniel Craig's rugged James Bond is back, this time vengeful and sleepless after the death of his lover Vesper in "Casino Royale." Stripped of his fun gadgets and good humor, this Bond has different charms, even if they make him no different from all the other lone avengers at the box office.
With Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) gaining crucial momentum heading into the month before Election Day, Senator John McCain (R-Ari.) needed a strong showing in this week's debate. After last Thursday's showdown between their running mates drew a record-breaking audience, sparks were expected to fly at the town hall debate. With the stock market sinking faster than it did in the Great Depression, the candidates, particularly McCain, needed to make a statement. Unfortunately, the only word to describe this debate was "lackluster."
In the last few years, an astonishing phenomenon has swept the world. A relatively new innovation has rivaled television's spot as the universal pastime. Millions, perhaps billions, tune in every day - captivated by average people who literally become overnight celebrities. What might this unbelievable craze be? Why, it's none other than the spread of the popular video-sharing website YouTube.com, where anyone with an access to a video camera and Internet connection can upload their own creations and dazzle the entire world with their talents. Of course, with 100 million videos uploaded every day, only a select few stand out above all others.
On a Friday evening (or night, depending on your sleep schedule), after a long week that included an incredibly long math test, convoluted procedures for college app paperwork and memorization of a monologue, I am hit with a sudden urge to sit on my butt in front of the television with a big bowl of chips and salsa.
The Supreme Court voted 6 - 3 on April 28 to uphold Indiana voter identification laws, ruling that states can require voters to show IDs before allowing them to cast ballots. Some states have long required voters to identify themselves at the polls, but no state had a requirement for a current government-issued photo ID until Indiana and Georgia passed such legislation in 2005. These ID requirements promise to prevent voter fraud, but some people argue that the voter ID laws suppress voting, especially by minority and would-be Democratic voters. Should states take advantage of this ruling and require voters to present IDs before allowing them to vote?
As the school year winds down in a last-minute rush of assignments and final exams, everyone's looking forward to a well-deserved summer break. With releases ranging from "The Dark Knight" to "Wall-E" to "Get Smart," this is certainly a season to suit anyone's tastes. Moviegoers may be overwhelmed by the selection of movies but, fortunately, Silver Chips Online is here with an epic preview to cover all your cinematic desires.
A reunion of former "Saturday Night Live" cohorts, "Baby Mama" strives to be a lighthearted and witty comedy. But despite the immense talents of the cast, the ludicrous situations and clumsy scriptwriting make the movie only sub par.
They live their lives just like anyone else. They work, go to school and pay their bills. Yet many of them live in misery - either shunned and hated for who they are or forced to keep their lives secret for fear of being hated - because they are transvestites and transgenders.
A high stakes game in a story that has already shown itself to sell – perfect material for an interesting movie, thought producers. Unfortunately, the movie package for "21" turned the true story into a bland and uninteresting mess on the big screen.
The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed the Darfur divestment bill at its council meeting yesterday. According to Dale Tibbitts, Chief of Staff for Councilmember Marc Elrich, the bill divests and frees county pension funds from companies involved with Sudan, in an effort to reduce the financial resources of the government and help end the genocide in Darfur. Students for Global Responsibility (SGR) helped persuade the county council to propose the bill and actively promoted the bill along with other students from around the county.
Following the varsity squads, Blair's four junior varsity spring sports teams also look forward to competitive, fun seasons. All four teams are relatively young, as the junior varsity lacrosse program is new to Blair, and both baseball and softball lost most returning players. But confidence from coaches and players promises several successful seasons.
Playing with food is rude and generally frowned upon, but those rules don't apply when you're cooking in the kitchen. A delicious delight for anyone, these sticky rice balls from China are not only delicious, they're fun to make. Because nearly anything in a fridge can be used as filling – from the traditional sesame seeds to red bean paste to meat (if you're feeling adventurous) – sticky rice balls have a little something for everyone.
A remake of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" tale, with gender roles reversed and a dash of bacon thrown in, director Mark Palansky's "Penelope" attempts to join the ranks of contemporary fairy tales. This refreshing deviation from a classic story manages to exhibit some charm despite some mangled directing and overly sentimental plot twists.
They wondered vaguely how the living room would look submerged under two feet of water, or if the house would still be standing at all. They thought briefly of what the city might look like when they finally returned – whether it would still be standing or reduced to rubble and debris. And after one long, hard look to fix the image of their home in their minds, they steeled themselves to board the bus that would take them to a shelter safe from Hurricane Noel. In this way, sophomore Angela Nunez's extended family in the Dominican Republic – her grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins – left the only home they had ever known.
Presales for Volume 79 of Silverlogue, the Blair yearbook, will end Friday, according to yearbook club sponsor Jacob Lee. The price will increase from $60 to $85 on Saturday.
The aesthetic quality of "Fool's Gold" is undeniable – from Matthew McConaughey's chiseled abs to the breathtaking Bahama Islands where the characters seek treasure. Unfortunately, though, eye-candy isn't enough to distract the audience from the movie's lack of substance.
GERMANTOWN INDOOR SWIM CENTER, Feb. 9 – Blair's swim and dive team placed a combined second out of six teams in the Division II championship meet last Saturday, losing first place to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons. The boys' team, which finished its season undefeated, captured first place with a final score of 500 points, while the girls tied Magruder for fifth with 274 points.
She was a bubbly 13-year-old who had overcome depression; her life was looking brighter. But then one day in November 2007, the mother of Megan Meiers found her daughter hanging from a rope in the closet. The shocking story of this Missouri teen caught the attention of the national media and spread like wildfire. Megan's suicide was prompted by hate messages sent by her neighbors, who had created a Myspace account under a false persona and befriended Megan. Her situation brings home the all-too-real torments of online hoaxes and bullying.
The Blair swim and dive team suffered its first combined loss on Saturday to the Bethesda–Chevy Chase Barons by a score of 181-161, bringing the team's record to 4-1. The still-undefeated boys' team won with a slim margin, 90-81. The girls' team fought hard, with junior Melanie Snail breaking the team record in the 200-yard Freestyle, but eventually lost, 100-71.
MONTGOMERY COLLEGE – TAKOMA PARK AQUATIC CENTER– The Blair swim and dive team remains undefeated after soundly pounding the Blake Bengals 197-140. The yet undefeated boys' team reigned dominant once again, winning 109-62, and the girls also garnered a win with a score of 88-78, bringing their record to 2-1.
Sequel fever has struck once again. Producers and film companies come up with a decent movie idea; it makes money. Film companies think: if we could do the same thing again, we could make more money! They revamp the idea and make a sequel nearly identical to the first. Unfortunately, many of these sequels, such as "National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets," fall flat with repeated jokes and stupid plot twists.
MARTIN LUTHER KING SWIM CENTER, Dec. 8 – The boys' swim team hammered the Quince Orchard Cougars today 123-46, winning their first official meet of the season. Although the girls' team lost 99-72, many of the girls swam personal bests.
Creepy tentacles, bloodstained glass and fear so palpable it makes the windows tremble – classic elements of any horror film. But the brilliance of the adaptation of Stephen King's "The Mist" comes from director Frank Darabont's ability to terrify not with horrific monsters, but with petrifying atmosphere and circumstance.
Blair graduate Melis Anahtar was selected as a 2008 Rhodes Scholar, winning a prestigious graduate scholarship to Oxford University in England.
The oldest and greatest English epic tale comes to life with the newest cutting edge technology in "Beowulf." Director Robert Zemecki combines 3D imaging with motion capture technology (improved since the creepy people of Zemecki's "Polar Express) to create the beautiful world of Beowulf. Unfortunately, even these amazing visuals cannot rescue the film from a predictable plot and lackluster characters.
In the girls' varsity volleyball team's last home game on Tuesday night, the Poolesville Falcons soundly defeated the Blazers (6-7) in a disheartening 3-0 game. The still-undefeated Falcons dominated the court with superior technique and solid, hard serves while the Blazers slipped up in their game and made careless mistakes, resulting in set scores of 25-11, 25-13 and 25-9.
Ben Affleck can be written off as an actor who relies on a pretty-boy face rather than talent, but thankfully this time he avoids the spotlight. In "Gone Baby Gone," Affleck steps behind the scenes as director and delivers an emotional and disturbing film that delves into the lives of those who fall through the cracks.
Blair girls' varsity volleyball (6-5) faced the Magruder Colonels on Friday in a laborious game that resulted in a 3-0 loss for the Blazers. Although the Blazers fought hard, displaying some of the best teamwork so far this season, the still-undefeated Colonels cruised through the three-set game with scores of 25-14, 25-20 and 25-15.
Six college fairs will be held in the Washington metropolitan area this fall to provide information regarding the college admissions process. The fairs will feature representatives and alumni from various institutions and give students an opportunity to pose questions regarding colleges or universities.
The girls' varsity volleyball team pummeled the Northwood Gladiators in three straight sets on Friday in a quick game that boosted their season record to 4-3. The Blazers dominated in the first and second sets with strong finishes of 25-18 and 25-14 respectively, but slipped in the third for a lengthy set that eventually ended with a 31-29 win.
From thugs in Central Park to illegal gun sales in back alleys, "The Brave One" is sure to instill fear into even the hardiest travelers with its harsh portrayal of New York City. But while the movie successfully terrifies tourists, it misses both of Director Neil Jordan's aims – to shine as a thrilling action film and simultaneously examine moral dilemmas.
Like many other new students, junior Gabriela Vettiger has spent the last few weeks navigating the world of Blair. But what sets Vettiger apart from the masses is that her home is thousands of miles away in Bottenwil, Switzerland.
The varsity girls' volleyball team outlasted the Paint Branch Panthers in an up-and-down match on Tuesday, winning three out of four sets to bring their season record to 1-1. The girls pulled off impressive wins in the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-12, but fell 25-23 in the third. The team recovered in the fourth set, pulling a narrow 26-24 win to capture the game 3-1.
The SGA will hold its second annual Back-to-School barbecue in the courtyard on Friday, Sept. 7, from 3 p.m. until the start of the varsity football game against Blake at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday evening, members of the Blair community had a chance to meet and greet new principal Darryl Williams at a PTSA-sponsored fundraiser at El Golfo restaurant from 5 to 10 p.m. Twenty-five percent of all proceeds went towards this year's After Prom event.
The dolls with collagen-enhanced lips, big exotic eyes and no noses have stepped off toy shelves, first into an animated TV series and, now a feature-length film. Unfortunately, "Bratz," the second film this summer based on a toy, is too asinine and hysterical to attract a wide audience - it attempts to dazzle moviegoers with fashion, makeup and shoes, hoping that they won't notice any other aspects (or lack thereof) of the movie. In other words, "Bratz" will be delightful for tween girls, and incredibly painful for everyone else.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against a high school student last week in Frederick v. Morse, the first major case involving students' First Amendment rights since 1988. However, the Court did not reinforce the famous Tinker precedent that students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate as it should have, choosing instead to create a whole new rule on the First Amendment that allows censorship of student speech advocating illegal drugs.
The production repeats, but this time with Birdboot (John O'Connor) playing the role of Simon Gascoyne.
Birdboot (John O'Connor) intrudes on the production, attempting to woo the actress playing the beautiful Lady Muldoon (Kelly O'Connor).
Major Magnus Muldoon (John Justin Whiteney), Lady Cynthia Muldoon (Kelly O'Connor), Felicity Cunningham (Bette Cassatt) and Simon Gascoyne (Robert Lache) are engaged in an energetic game of cards.
Mrs. Sappleton (Kelly O'Connor) and Vera Sappleton (Tasmin Swanson) entertain their guest in "Open Windows," a play starring several Blair teachers and students.
The spore that has developed into a "creature" inspects his nest, complete with a new egg.
While in the cell stage, this organism swims away from a predator.
Being a panda seems pretty sweet, but not when you're Po the Panda (voiced by Jack Black). Photo courtesy of DreamWorks Animation.
Gabriela Vitteger poses in the Media Center.
Francesca Blume, SGA Director of School Spirit, says the barbecue will be a good way for Blazers to get pumped up for the first football game.
Principal Darryl Williams poses with his family at El Golfo. Photo by Monica Wei
Wayne Miller poses in his Latin classroom.
Miller poses in his Latin classroom.