This Sunday, audiences everywhere will tune in to watch the 83rd annual Academy Awards. 2010 was a dream year for movie lovers; Hollywood cranked out flawlessly executed franchise hits, thrillers, love stories, dramas, westerns, charming animations and epics. But soon it will be time for the dream to end, for actors, directors and crews to accept their little golden statues and get back to work on making even more fantastic films for 2011.
Spring lulled the 85 percent of the female population into a false sense of security, but we snoWatch experts know that the laws of nature don't really apply to Silver Spring.
On Tuesday, we found out that the sky gods are democratic, as they heeded Obama's words from the State of the Union address and "did big things" (those of you who are out of the loop, go to 1:01:16).
Why do the proponents of precipitation, spokespeople of slush, advocates of ice and flag-bearers (thank you, Thesaurus.com) of flurries suddenly turn their backs on all they hold near and dear?
It appears as though we have a dilemma on our hands. As a sneaky exam week (since when do we have midterms the week after we get back from break?) rears its misshapen, demented, soul-sucking head, many Blazers are torn about their desire for a snow day.
This past Saturday morning former Blazer Wilber Ramirez was struck and killed in a hit-and-run on the 5000 block of 38th Avenue in Hyattsville. An email with information concerning Ramirez's viewing and funeral was sent out on Blair private at 1 p.m. today.
Nothing soothes our holiday-cookie-saturated souls here at SCO more than an announcement telling us that after-school activities are canceled, schools are delayed, or - the holy grail of all announcements - schools are canceled.
Principal Darryl Williams announced a new after-school security policy this morning at the beginning of second period.
Police shot and killed gunman James J. Lee after a nearly four-hour-long standoff in the Discovery building in Downtown Silver Spring earlier today.
As calendars flip to the month of May, film companies start rolling out sequels, trilogies and prequels and every movie seems to be "the first summer blockbuster of the year!" But "Iron Man 2" truly has the ingredients to be this summer's superhero of choice.
It's nice to know that long after football season is over, after championship rings have been handed out, football isn't just shoved into the back of our minds.
The Athletic Department is "running in the red" budget-wise according to department head Dale Miller. The department had an income of $83,000 this year, while its expenditures were approximately $102,000. Miller speculates that the department could possibly owe Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) roughly $30,000 in total by the end of this school year.
At the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs) on Sunday, country fans saw familiar stars and greeted new faces. Queen of country Reba McEntire, armed with corny jokes, hosted the show for the ninth time.
English teacher Lauren Termini was tired of listening to the women around her complain about their bodies. She became especially irritated when she had to listen to her mother and sister lament about their imperfections.
At Silver Chips Online, we know that holidays can be stressful. No one really wants to see all of their extended family over Thanksgiving, write Grandma a thank-you note for that Christmas sweater from the GAP Kids or have that awkward and forced Valentine's Day dinner. Luckily, Earth Day comes around every April 22 to relieve the pressure of those other holidays and requires nothing more of you than to simply bask in the environment and all its glory.
To cut costs in the Cottonwood Heights education system, Senator Chris Buttars (R - Utah) suggested statewide elimination of senior year in public high school. He dubbed 12th grade a year of "nothing but playing around" and advised lawmakers not to waste their bucks on slacking seniors. While some juniors feel they have completed high school and are ready to engage in bigger and better things come senior year, others feel 12th grade provides essential opportunities and time for mental, social and intellectual development.
The boys' tennis team (3-0) smashed the Watkins Mill Wolverines (0-3) 7 - 0 in their third match of the season. Blair dominated all seven matches against the Wolverines, winning each match in straight sets in under one hour.
Throughout March and April, Blair's Student Government Association (SGA) will host numerous events such as the second blood drive of the year and the Spring Pep Rally.
"Alice in Wonderland" had to deliver, and in order to take on a project like that, Burton had to be as mad as the Hatter himself. He pulled it off - the cast was wonderful and the plot was fantastic and zany.
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Chile on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 1:34 a.m. EST. Seven-hundred-and-eight Chileans died and roughly two million were affected by the quake, which was the fifth most powerful earthquake since the start of the 20th century, according to the Washington Post.
Blair's swim and dive team (4-1) came in sixth at the county-wide swimming and diving championships with a combined score of 333.5 points. The boys came in fourth with a total of 209 points and the girls took eighth with 124.5 points.
Valentine's Day is all about spending time with a special someone. Whether that person is a friend or a significant other, the pressure is on to give a present that shows how much you care. Chocolates, flowers and greeting cards make great gifts, but baking is a creative way to show your affection, bond with a loved one and satisfy that sweet tooth.
It was nine years ago when Kelly Clarkson was dubbed the first "American Idol." Now, almost a decade later, is there still enough of the glamour and talent previous contestants possessed to go around?
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards gave viewers fashion, fame and talent in a three-and-a-half hour broadcast last week. From country to rock to hip-hop, the Grammys delivered music's biggest stars, and those stars aligned in stellar collaborative performances.
This may be the most emotional Super Bowl in history. Every game in the season boils down to one Sunday night and we couldn't be more excited.
The Blair swim and dive team (4-0) defeated the Quince Orchard Cougars 184-158 Saturday morning, adding another solid season performance to their record despite a snowstorm that delayed the meet by one hour. The boys' team won comfortably with a final score of 95-76, while the girls pulled out a close 89-82 victory.
In December, seniors Erica Horne and Nicole Huffman were awarded full tuition scholarships through the Posse Foundation, or Posse, to attend Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and Grinnell College in Iowa respectively.
This week promises some of the best match-ups we've seen all season. We've trimmed the fat and weeded out the weaker teams; all that's left is unadulterated gridiron action. Through injuries, sideline drama and doubt, these four teams have worked hard for the chance to battle it out for a spot in the first Super Bowl of the new decade.
Blair (2-0) defeated the Northwest Jaguars on Saturday in a close meet for the girls and a landslide victory for the boys. The girls won 85-84 and the boys won 104-67.
The division playoffs bring us another week closer to the Super Bowl. The match-ups are more intense than ever and teams' momentum and consistency come into play.
Senior Nate Hukill stands on poolside bleachers in front of a mob of Blazers sporting sleek Blair swimsuits.
Blair's swim and dive team fell to the Sherwood Warriors in the Division II relay carnival on Saturday, but defeated Northwest, Blake, Poolesville and Quince Orchard. Blair won only one of its relays, but came in second to either Sherwood or Northwest in six other races.
The best teams in the NFL kick off 2010 January football with intense match-ups that read revenge and intensity all over. Last week, Blazers might have snagged a glimpse of how the Jets, Bengals, Eagles and Cowboys will fair on the field this week. But some of our weekend match-up teams deceived us.
With a Christmas Day release, director Rob Marshall's "Nine" practically launches itself into the arms of the Academy. The film, Marshall's third after his critically acclaimed and wildly popular works "Chicago" and "Memoirs of a Geisha," is packed with accomplished actors sure to catch the eyes of the Academy – but falls short in one major aspect: plot.
It's time again to tune in for a couple days of of hard-nosed gridiron action. These last two weeks will determine the final playoff picture and yield some intense performances unseen in previous weeks. Games like Houston v. Miami, Baltimore v. Pittsburgh and Denver v. Philadelphia represent what is at stake.
As specks of snow fell on the ground on Friday evening, junior Zoe Kurtz led Blair's a cappella group, InToneNation, in their rendition of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Kurtz swayed to the rhythm while behind her festive lights encircled a large, colorful banner that read "SGR Spectacular."
With only three weeks left in the season, football fans learned of Chris Henry's untimely death on Thursday. The Bengals franchise will have to work through this tragedy and adapt to Henry's absence, a loss that will definitely affect them as we near the end of the season and begin the playoffs.
Less than 12 hours after Thanksgiving dinner, the holiday season officially begins. It is when wreaths are hung on doors, Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song" is played over and over again and Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album cover (we know you have a copy) is dusted off.
Blair's cabaret held its first annual "Cabaret for Cancer" Friday night in the auditorium. The cabaret showcased the artistic gifts of 17 Blazers in a heartwarming show that centered on the theme "All You Need is Love." The cabaret featured 25 songs ranging from humorous show tunes to intimate ballads.
Week 14 is when the playoff talk begins in earnest. With a ticket to January football on the line, teams will be pulling out all the stops this week (lucky for us). Some teams are already out of playoff contention, but others are ready to give their all for a spot. We've got some truly heavy-hitting games this week.
We've finally made it to December. Though most games will be played on Sunday the sixth, they might as well be played on Friday the 13th. That's right, sports fans, Week 13 spells bad news for some teams.
Week 12 of the NFL regular season makes fans across the nation reflect on what they're so thankful for. An undefeated season? A shred of a chance for the playoffs? But maybe fans are just thankful for this national holiday, when they can sit down with friends and family and enjoy three games of football right after dinner.
This week some interesting games are coming out of the AFC. We've got Houston vs. Tennessee, Buffalo vs. Jacksonville and New England vs. the Jets. All eyes are going to be on the match-up between Randy Moss of the Patriots and Darrelle Revis of the Jets, which will be a battle between one of the best receivers and one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
Blair's cheerleading squad placed second out of eight schools in the Division II Montgomery County Public School Cheerleading Competition, which was held on Saturday, Nov. 21 in the Blair gymnasium. Blair also took home the spirit award for the fifth year in a row.
The main feature on InfinityWard.com, the website of a popular video game developer, is a movie-like video depicting the horrors and aw-inspiring images of war.
This morning, the Student Government Association (SGA) announced that senior Mady Nadje will no longer be Blair's vice president. Blair's chief of staff, junior Adam Biru, was announced as the acting vice president. The SGA distributed a notice that informed Blazers of the situation to all second period classes.
This is a week of hardcore rivalries, which is why you hardcore football fans tune in every Sunday. This is real, pride-filled, friendship-breaking, enemy-making gridiron action.
It is six a.m., and as junior Selena Wyborski is awakened by her shrill alarm clock, she remains under her covers, eyes still closed. She ponders the looming task that lies before her - choosing an outfit for the day - and reminisces about the days before she went to Blair, when she could slip on a familiar uniform every morning without a second thought. But as of two years ago, those days are over.
It's Friday night at Blazer Stadium and Blair fans are going crazy. One group of friends is clapping, shrieking and jumping up and down, causing the gleaming metal bleachers to shake. Other fans are pointing towards the field with wide smiles plastered on their faces.
We're coming up on the ninth week of the season, and the games are still as exciting as they were when the season started. Now more than ever, a retrospective on the first half of the season is in order. Let's take some time to remember the first eight weeks of 2009.
We've got quite a lineup of games in NFL Week Eight. The Colts play the 49ers, the undefeated Denver takes on the Ravens at home and the Dolphins swim against the tide of the division rival Jets.
With his movie "Where the Wild Things Are," director Spike Jonze has discovered how to create instant box office hits. Start with a beloved children's book and add some Hollywood magic. "Where the Wild Things Are" stormed the box office, becoming the number one movie in the nation.
In the spirit of mischief and mayhem, SCO has watched and ranked three classic Halloween scary movies for spook-o-meter status. Most of them inspired lucrative Halloween franchises but all of them provide suspense, thrills and of course horror. So grab some candy corn, loosen up, invite some friends over and lock the door - these movies are sure to cause a fright.
Silver Quill, Blair's award-winning literary magazine, is holding its first Open Mic of the 2009 - 2010 school year this Friday in the Media Center during 5A and 5B lunches. The Halloween-themed event will give Blazers a chance to perform creative material through spoken word or music.
The picks are getting harder and harder to select each week, as we seem to be heading into unknown territory. Winless teams like the Chiefs are getting their first victories, and undefeated teams like the Giants are receiving their first losses. But where does "the unexpected" put us? To be honest, we're really not sure.
The sixth week of the NFL is here, and it looks to be a fantastic week for football. Great match-ups and rivalry games are sprinkled here and there: the New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints game, the Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons game and the Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals game are among the top.
With a cast of comedy veterans, characters quirky enough to be in a Ben Stiller flick, and a setting that invites disaster to strike, "Couples Retreat" is poised to be a hilarious comedy. But the film, directed by Peter Billinglsey, and produced by Vince Vaughn, flip-flops between serious dialogue and absurd situations, leaving the audience confused, unattached and ready to leave the theater.
Only five teams remain undefeated after the first five weeks of the 2009 NFL season. From the National Football Conference (NFC), the Vikings, Giants and Saints haven't dropped a game yet. From the American Football Conference (AFC), Denver and Indianapolis stand alone.
Since the release of his debut album in 2007, pop star Mika's energized songs have stolen hearts and no doubt caused fans' voices to crack when they try to sing along. Well, warm up those vocal cords, because Mika's back and he hasn't changed a bit. He's still spunky and he's still creative.
As the upsets in week three slowly move to the back of our minds (well, maybe not all of the upsets), NFL week four promises to be thrilling.
Uncertainty is rampant in NFL week three. First of all, the NFL was full of drama last week with unbelievable upsets that marred SCO staffer records. Teams like the Houston Texans, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals proved to be formidable opponents for princes of pigskin like Tom Brady, and reminded football fans everywhere of that old saying "any given Sunday…"
Before a large homecoming crowd, varsity football (1 – 3 – 0) lost to the Springbrook Blue Devils 0 – 21. Without many of their starters due to injury, Blair was unable to master Springbook's vitality, and committed several tackling errors throughout the game.
Enrollment for the 2009 – 2010 school year has increased from the 2008 – 2009 school year, despite county projections indicating that Blair would have fewer incoming freshmen this fall. The number of freshmen increased mainly because there are more students who have Blair designated as their home school than in previous years, according to resource counselor Marcia Johnson.
Opening week has ended and week two of NFL football is right around the corner. We got a taste of what's to come this season, but we've only touched the surface. Much of the week played out as many had expected: Adrian Peterson once again tops the league with 180 rushing yards, Peyton Manning connected with Reggie Wayne for 162 receiving yards and ol' Tom Brady threw for 378 yards.
As September arrives, millions of Americans across the nation share a common interest: football. With fall comes the much anticipated beginning of the NFL season - a time when fans everywhere rejoice and saturate their lives with goodness otherwise known as America's most popular sport.
On Tuesday at 12 p.m., President Obama gave a speech encouraging students across the nation to "take responsibility for their lives."
In a summer ruled by robots, wizards and high-tech guinea pigs emerge two unfamiliar, yet terrifically entertaining characters - cooks. "Julie & Julia" is the charming tale of two women who share a passion for food and cooking, one becoming a household name and the other finding simple happiness in recipes for French cuisine.
Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown presented a $563,000 grant for Blair's new turf field to county officials at a ceremony held on Thursday at noon. The grant, which signified the completion of the new field, was presented to County Executive Isiah Legget at the function held outside of the main office.
A rare comfort in a time of economic chaos and tumultuous health care reform is that world leaders have not pushed global warming to the bottom of their laundry list of goals. At the G-8 Summit two weeks ago the environment was one of the key issues on the agenda.
Sprinkles, tubes of icing and colored frosting make these sweet sensations even better!
The cookies should be light brown or golden before they come out of the oven.
You can use different sized cookie cutters for more variety.
Make sure your surface is covered with flour before you roll the dough out.
Before chilling it, divide the dough in half so it's easier to work with later.
Only eight ingredients are needed to make these scrumptious sugar cookies from scratch.
Ario Sumitro, Anthony Jankowski and Nathan Ipanag, from left to right, line up to practice a cheer.
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown presented a $563,000 grant for Blair's new turf field to County Executive Isiah Legget, county officials and a member of the school board on Thursday at noon.