media


When do the social media accounts of MCPS employees go too far?

By Kathryn LaLonde | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:22 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Kathryn is Silver Chips' Ombudsman. To connect with her, email ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com.


Employees matter. MCPS should treat them as such.

By The Silver Chips Editorial Board | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:14 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

From maintaining schools, to distributing food, to teaching on Zoom, MCPS employees are continuously going above and beyond during this pandemic. Now, MCPS is hanging them out to dry.


Overriding the veto on our future

By Marijke Friedman | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:10 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Joe Francaviglia struggled for years with getting mental health resources for his students. “I taught 33 eighth graders my second period, and the class had at least eight kids with serious mental health needs,” Francaviglia, a former teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools and current Executive Director of Strong Schools Maryland, said. “We had one school psychologist who was there part-time. My class alone would have filled her caseload.”


Summer health? Not so sick.

By Jasper Swartz | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:06 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

When Norah Lesperin, a sophomore at Albert Einstein, took health over summer break to get the required graduation credit out of the way, she encountered hateful comments about her identity and a sexual assault lesson so insensitive that it made her feel nauseous.


Affirmative action infraction

By Leila Faraday | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:02 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

This fall, as seniors scramble to submit their college applications, many find themselves checking off a box to indicate their race—wondering what their answer will mean for their admission prospects. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) apparently has a very good idea of that.


It's time for Title IX transparency

By Sofia Roehrig | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:56 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains non-graphic descriptions of and information about sexual abuse and trauma. Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.


PRO/CON: Should social media companies continue offering face filters?

By Annie Mount (PRO) and Maybelle Patterson (CON) | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:46 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

The arguments for and against face filters


Disparity in funding: Native American tribes in Maryland receive no federal pandemic aid

By Maybelle Patterson | Oct. 16, 2020, 2:28 a.m. | In Print COVID-19 »

Christine Benally, a member of the Navajo Nation in the midwest, works to lower the rates of violence in Native populations through community outreach. Native communities often have high amounts of childhood abuse, which can lead to trauma and a host of health issues. Benally sees these issues so often that she calls it “a pandemic in itself.”


How safe are our schools?

By Lilia Wong and Jon Eckert | Oct. 16, 2020, 2:19 a.m. | In Print COVID-19 »

MCPS is currently investigating the possibility of opening schools during the second quarter for select groups of students with the highest degree of need, possibly renouncing their previous announcement that the first semester would be conducted entirely virtually.


Second take

By Ayush Dutta and Charlie Wiebe | Oct. 16, 2020, 2:03 a.m. | In Print Sports »

The conversation always surrounds the quarterbacks––Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and the Manning brothers to name a few. But the idea that quarterbacks are somehow more important than running backs, wide receivers, or anyone on defense is deeply flawed.


From Blair to the big leagues

By Jon Eckert | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:49 a.m. | In Print Sports »

Before Tom Brown was a two-time Super Bowl champion and a Major League Baseball player––and one of less than 70 people to have ever played both professional football and baseball––he was a Blazer.


Ashley's Adventures

By Ashley Thommana | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:16 a.m. | In Print Culture »

It is that time of year again: Brightly-colored leaves are strewn across the ground, pumpkin spice lattes are steaming from the cup, and of course, eagerly anticipated trips to orchards and haunted houses are on our minds. Many of us are not rural residents, spending most of our time surrounded by tall buildings as opposed to flat farmland, but the magical season of fall has always offered us an oasis—the chance to go on a hayride, pick apples at the farm, or take a trip to the pumpkin patch.


From prohibitive to performative

By Maia Egnal and Simran Thakkar | Oct. 16, 2020, 1:16 a.m. | In Print Sports »

On July 13, the football team based in Washington, D.C. announced that they were changing their name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team—an announcement that had been long awaited by many across the country.


Love from six feet apart

By Leila Faraday | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:57 a.m. | In Print Culture »

How couples have changed weddings plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.


Is Mulan (2020) a film work fighting for?

By Annie Mount | Oct. 16, 2020, 12:46 a.m. | In Print Culture »

Controversy, criticism, and digital American premier leave the film with a disappointing payout.


MCPS provides 45-day notice of reopening, At-Large Board of Education candidates respond

By Oliver Goldman, Anika Seth | Sept. 27, 2020, 8:21 p.m. | In Print News »

On September 25, MCPS and three union associations (the Montgomery County Education Association, the local Service Employees International Union and the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals) wrote a joint message to staff and faculty about the potential of reopening classrooms to students, formally providing employees the minimum 45-day notice required prior to reopening. Silver Chips reached out to Lynne Harris and Sunil Dasgupta, the at-large candidates for the Board of Education, for written statements in response.


It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... my college application?

By Aviva Bechky | June 18, 2020, 12:33 p.m. | In Print Features »

Cancelled SATs. Pass/incomplete grades. Disrupted extracurriculars. Changes in financial aid status. Interviews moving online. This year’s college admissions have been thrown into uncharted territory because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both students and colleges are navigating a new process, marked by a lack of in-person resources. From testing to financial aid, this year is different, and some students are unsure of how to handle it.


Hoards and hauls

By Khayla Robinson | June 8, 2020, 9:22 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many have found themselves struggling to get by. Small businesses are hustling to keep themselves afloat, school districts are scurrying to create successful online learning systems, and medical staffers are working excruciatingly long hours to help those in need. To lessen the spread of the virus and its chaos, state governors have urged citizens to stay home by enforcing stringent stay-at-home orders––some states even administering fines for non-essential travel. This has led many Americans to stockpile on everyday items. People are hoarding exorbitant amounts of items—from rolls of toilet paper to cases of water—just so they can be prepared. While this reaction is understandable, stockpiling is doing more harm than good.


College credit from the couch

By Abby Brier | June 3, 2020, 9:12 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

This year, students not only took AP exams from the comfort of home, but in a fraction of the previous three hour time limit. These limitations extend to restrict the number and type of questions on the test, and even the content covered. While the College Board, the for-profit “non-profit” that has monopolized the standardized testing industry, would like to believe that their blissfully shortened 45-minute AP tests will be enough to demonstrate students’ mastery of a subject, this is simply not the case.


Ventilators, virals, and vaccines

By Clark Zhang | June 1, 2020, 8:52 p.m. | In Print Features »

Ever since the COVID-19 began in China in December 2019, humanity has scrambled to find ways to treat the disease. When a novel disease emerges, treatment often comes in three steps: life support, anti-virals, and vaccines.


Ethan's Park: A sports column in a sports-less time

By Ethan Park | May 21, 2020, 7:35 p.m. | In Print Sports »

It feels a bit funny to write a sports column at this point in our human history. For as long as most Americans can remember, sports have always been a constant. Even during World War II, when the majority of male baseball players went off to war, women stepped up to the plate and kept the game running. After disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, sports gave a grieving country something to cheer for. But now, with the whole world—sports included—at a standstill, there’s frankly not too much to have a sports-related opinion about.


Helping seniors in trying times

By Ashley Thommana | May 19, 2020, 11:13 p.m. | In Print Features »

Carrying plastic bags filled to the brim with groceries, a teen volunteer dons protective equipment to drop off groceries at the front door of a neighbor’s house. As a member of “Teens Helping Seniors,” the volunteer is delivering groceries and other essentials to the homes of the elderly and immunocompromised.


Lynne Harris for Board of Education At-Large

By Silver Chips Editorial Board | May 18, 2020, 7:23 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

The Silver Chips Editorial Board is proud to endorse Lynne Harris for the open at-large seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education. Ms. Harris’ deep knowledge of the school system, unique prioritization of students, and diverse career experiences make her the ideal choice for students and families as MCPS recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.


Healthy productivity in the time of COVID-19

By Victoria Xin | May 17, 2020, 7:13 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Now is the time to learn a language, make a YouTube channel, and start your next big coding project. Now is the time to create a garden, paint the next Mona Lisa, and write a book. From the internet, newspapers, and even TikTok, we’ve been hearing these sentiments over and over again: We must maximize the efficiency of our quarantine time.


Dinner at your doorstep

By Abednego Togas | May 16, 2020, 7:07 p.m. | In Print Entertainment »

In only a matter of weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly damaged many of America’s central industries. The food industry, in particular, has been forced to climb a steep learning curve as it races to adapt to a reality in which hungry customers are not allowed to step through the front doors. Fortunately, there is a solution for both businesses and consumers, even as most states have ordered stay-at-home orders: food delivery services such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash, and Postmates.

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