Think of as many uses as you can for a paperclip. The request may seem basic - much easier than, say, a logic- or analysis-based question on the SAT. But creative, open-ended questions like this one reveal information just as telling as whether a college applicant can decipher questions like, "There are 75 more women than men enrolled in Linden College. If there are n men enrolled, then, in terms of n, what percent of those enrolled are men?"
Think of as many uses as you can for a paperclip. The request may seem basic - much easier than, say, a logic- or analysis-based question on the SAT. But creative, open-ended questions like this one reveal information just as telling as whether a college applicant can decipher questions like, "There are 75 more women than men enrolled in Linden College. If there are n men enrolled, then, in terms of n, what percent of those enrolled are men?"
This question has been on a lot of people's minds for weeks, in light of three events that occurred last month: the death of Tai Lam, the stabbing of a student and the accidental shooting of a junior. Although only one of these - the stabbing - occurred at Blair, all three were tied to the school by people both inside and outside the building. In the weeks after, students, parents and community members voiced concerns on online message boards, through local news outlets and in our school's halls. Anxiety among students and staff seems to have gone down, but there is still no consensus on what it all says about Blair. Some students continue to question the state of the school, perceiving a trend of violence, while others readily defend it. It seems that we have, to some degree, an identity crisis. The only way we can pull ourselves out of it is to take a good look at where we stand, and what we can build upon from here.