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Reaching the limit

By Jialin Quinlan | Feb. 5, 2010, 3:55 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Imagine, 3,000 students milling about on a campus surrounded by two major roads. The cars whiz by at high speeds, as jaywalking students dodge their trajectories. Sound familiar? This is the situation that Blazers are faced with on a daily basis.


Second chances for kids who missed a first

By Larisa Antonisse | Feb. 5, 2010, 3:52 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

The first 13 years of life are supposed to be a person's most fun and carefree years. Joe Sullivan had no such experience. By age 13, Sullivan had experienced repeated physical and sexual abuse, had endured living with a mental disability and was sentenced to a lifetime in prison without the possibility of parole. Now 33 and still in prison, Sullivan has missed out on a childhood. Like many other people sentenced to life as juveniles, Sullivan does not deserve to miss out on the rest of life as well.


In our own backyard

By Samantha Lint | Feb. 5, 2010, 12:23 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

In the wake of a typically generous holiday season, countless charity groups have benefitted from many people's resolutions to donate and volunteer more. Unfortunately, one group remains largely forgotten. Hundreds of needy people within our community have gone unnoticed for yet another year: foster children.


Soapbox: Blazers speak out

By | Feb. 5, 2010, 11:57 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

"At the beginning of my freshman year I had a stress fracture in my lower back. I was out almost the entire season and I had to stay off it and avoid all athletic activity." -junior Andrew Lichter


Facebook network reads like an open book

By Vicky Lai | Feb. 5, 2010, 8:19 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

If your friends can see your most private information on Facebook, who else can? You wouldn't post your name and picture on a public wall for everyone to see. Yet that's what Facebook is doing with user data in its latest privacy modifications.


Money speaks volumes

By | Feb. 5, 2010, 8:15 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

By all accounts, there are two great enduring institutions in America: free speech and capitalism. But the intersection of the two can have disastrous results. This reality gripped the nation last month when the Supreme Court decided to lift all limits concerning amount of money corporations and unions can spend and the proximity to the election they can broadcast issue advertisements in the case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (FEC).


Separating GPA and attendance

By Jess Miller | Feb. 5, 2010, 7:49 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

We all know the story: student skips school, student gets marked absent from his or her class and the absence is marked unexcused. Rinse and repeat five times, and the student has a Loss of Credit (LC) on his or her report card. But the narrative will hopefully change next year, as a county proposal could eliminate this inefficient policy.


Staying strong in the face of tragedy

By | Feb. 5, 2010, 7:43 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

In times of joy, an unvanquished spirit manifests in our student body. Yet in times of tragedy, our school pulls together in an even more united front. The recent death of senior Paris Essoumba has brought an outpouring of support among the Blair community. Students, teachers and administrators alike encourage one other to "stay strong" during our period of collective grief. And indeed, the community has already formed networks of support and outlets for grieving, from Facebook groups to Friday, Feb. 5's "Freestyle Friday" event. Grief counselors were readily available to the student body, and teachers urged their classes to express their complex emotions upon hearing the sad news, rather than hold them in. In the wake of tragedy, Blazers prove themselves to be remarkably resilient, brave and supportive of one another.


Pro/Con: Is online post-secondary education the more viable option in today's job market?

By Natalie Rutsch, Vicky Lai | Feb. 5, 2010, 7:42 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

With the recession and rising college tuition costs, more and more people are turning to cheaper education venues, particularly online ones. But educational experts have questioned the quality of online postsecondary education since it first began, and students must decide whether they are willing to give up a traditional education for a cheaper online alternative.


Race to the top

By Jewel Galbraith | Dec. 17, 2009, 6:12 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

When the starting gun sounded on President Obama's administration, the races to reform health care and repair the ailing economy began, each facing ruts and bumps along the course. But with Race to the Top (RTTT), Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's new education reform project, the administration has reached a winning stride.


A controversial issue near and 'deer' to our park

By Sarah Schwartz | Dec. 17, 2009, 2:55 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

Little by little, the landscape of Sligo Creek Park is changing. Native plant and animal species are vanishing, and the rate of collisions along Sligo Creek Parkway is rising. Without a doubt, the park is in jeopardy. The culprits are the deer: The whitetail population that used to be merely a nuisance is now becoming a serious danger to the park's ecosystem and nearby residents.


Shout out your name with pride

By Gardi Royce | Dec. 17, 2009, 2:47 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

As legendary Redskins supporter Chief Zee screams his war chants and beats the edge of his seat, other fans look with admiration at the man who bleeds burgundy and gold. The passion of this ardent rallier is something Washington fans are used to every season. However, the Redskins have been on a rocky path recently, enduring stressors from a terrible season to a controversial Supreme Court case over the team name. The Redskins have always had trouble with critics who find their name offensive. What these critics fail to realize, though, is that "Redskins" is being used not in a derogatory manner, but rather as a mark of respect and honor.


Real money savvy in the real world

By Philipa Friedman | Dec. 17, 2009, 2:38 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

LOCs, DTIs, CPAs, college funds, checkbooks, taxes…it's enough to make your head spin. Finance is one of those eternally elusive things, like a bar of soap that's fallen to the bottom of the sink. Unless you've already got a good grasp on it, it can be really hard to pick up. And during tough economic times, it is now even more vital that students know how to manage their own funds.


Soapbox: Blazers speak out

By | Dec. 17, 2009, 12:10 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

"With the greater presence of security guards I feel safer, but I also feel as if I am always being watched and have no privacy. I feel that I am almost never in danger while I am in school during school times. But I also feel as if I am always being watched and can't do anything unless it is 100 percent approved by school." -sophomore Sarath Asari


Pro/Con: Should the U.S. commit to emissions reduction at Copenhagen?

By Jenny Sholar, Lauren Teixeira | Dec. 17, 2009, 12:04 p.m. | In Print Opinions »

As global temperatures continue to rise and emissions levels continue to increase, the need for action on climate change from world leaders grows more important. This month, the U.S. attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss an international solution to the global warming crisis. At the summit, the U.S. faced the choice of committing to an immediate and costly emissions reduction agreement.


The case for more rigorous Chips Indexing

By Warren Zhang | Dec. 17, 2009, 11:11 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Some of the more observant readers of Silver Chips may have noticed a slight change in the staff box this cycle. Traditionally, the roles of Extras Editor and Newsbrief Editor are fulfilled by junior staffers and we are proud to announce that page editors Eli Okun and Philipa Friedman have stepped up to fill the roles of Extras Editor and Newsbrief Editor, respectively. This shift of power allows us to take a moment to reflect on these two sections and plan new ways in which Silver Chips can improve the quality of our reporting for future issues.


Letter to the editor: reconsidering year-round school

By | Dec. 17, 2009, 7:40 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

Sophomore Sara Sium wrote this letter to the editor in response to the Silver Chips article Is year-round schooling an effective alternative to the traditional calendar?


Legalizing the perfect drunken driving prevention device

By | Dec. 17, 2009, 7:25 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

It's a device that can prevent hundreds of fatalities a year. A device that will alter the way we think about driving. It will not only change lives, but save them.


Obsessing over obesity won't tip the scales in our favor

By Vicky Lai | Dec. 17, 2009, midnight | In Print Opinions »

The numbers on teens' scales are gaining more weight on the minds of Americans - and for good reason. Across the nation, more teens are becoming obese, and Maryland is no exception. In 1976-1980, five percent of Maryland teens were obese, and in 2003-2004, that percent was up to 17, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.


Soapbox: Blazers speak out

By | Nov. 12, 2009, 8:54 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

"Blair's biggest rival is probably Northwood. When it comes to the "Battle of the Boulevard," everybody shows up for the games whether it's football or soccer. Blazers should come out and support our teams, especially during the playoffs." -senior Alex Bae


Forest Grove: A landmark case for special education

By Nellie Beckett | Nov. 12, 2009, 8:45 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

MCPS special education made headlines in 2005 during the landmark case Schaffer v. Weast, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the burden of proof is upon the party that files suit (usually the families of special education students) when the question exists whether a school district must compensate for private school tuition if the system can't provide for a student's special needs. Now, the Court has taken special education rights one step further with the recent ruling in Forest Grove School District v. T.A., an equally important victory for special education students, their families and the schools that serve them.


Dropping the dropout age

By | Nov. 12, 2009, 8:12 a.m. | In Print Opinions »

On Oct. 28, the MCPS Board of Education unanimously passed a motion to raise the minimum high school dropout age from 16 to 18. However, the hypothetical law wouldn't take effect until the state legislature enacts the directive as a law. This incentive is a necessary measure that recognizes the value of education in today's rapidly changing world, and would yield positive change in Maryland high schools.


Driving on the safe side

By Larisa Antonisse | Nov. 12, 2009, midnight | In Print Opinions »

Over 4,200 teens in the U.S. were killed in driving accidents in 2007. More than 400,000 teens were treated in emergency rooms for vehicle crash injuries the same year. And these already high numbers are on the rise.


Moving away from Afghanistan

By Urja Mittal | Nov. 12, 2009, midnight | In Print Opinions »

When President Barack Obama was announced as the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, both his ardent supporters and his harshest critics, were surprised. The rationale for the prize turned out to be the cooperative, multilateral nature of engagement that Obama has brought to the global stage.


Loopholes in MCPS regulation of school food allow unhealthful options

By Warren Zhang | Nov. 12, 2009, midnight | In Print Opinions »

These days, with the recent influx of media coverage of childhood obesity, students are more health-savvy than ever. Yet, school food seems to have remained largely unchanged - bright Pepsi vending machines selling sugary soft drinks still adorn Blair Boulevard and fast food dishes are served in the school cafeteria.

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