silverchips A public forum for student expression since 1937 Montgomery Blair High School
March 14, 2024
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VOL. 87 NO. 5
SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
PHOTOS BY RAFFI CHARKOUDIAN-ROGERS AND MAIA TURPEN
AWESOME CON From March 8-10 the Walter E. Washington Convention Center hosted Awesome Con, Washington, D.C.’s Comic Con. Convention attendees dressed up in cosplay and bonded over comics, movies, video games, and more.
Northwood Sankofa returns to renovation to the stage start next fall By Zachary Karp Staff Writer
By Keelin Pegg Staff Writer Northwood will be relocated to the holding facility of Charles E. Woodward High School starting in the 2024-2025 school year to allow for renovation of the Northwood building. The renovation is projected to cost an estimated $124 million, and the new Northwood is scheduled to reopen for students and staff in August 2027. The project is part of the $2 billion Capital Improvements Program by MCPS, which aims to improve schools over the next six years and address overcrowding by expanding and modernizing facilities across the county. The Northwood move was given approval by the MCPS Board of Education in February 2020, revealing plans to demolish the high school and build a brand new facility. The current Northwood building was built in 1965, almost 60 years ago. Charlotte Case, a junior at Northwood said that the age of the school is noticeable,
insidechips News.......................................... A2 Opinions.................................... B1 La Esquina Latina................... C1 Features..................................... D1 Culture...................................... E1 Sports ....................................... F1
pointing to low ceilings, outdated bathrooms, and small classrooms that often seem crowded. “It’s just been around for so long that it just definitely needs to be upgraded,” she said. The proposal outlined a new four-story building with a modern layout, completely revamped facilities, and over 70 classrooms. The new Northwood will be outfitted to hold 2,700 students, making room for around 1,000 more students than it currently houses. This expansion is another attempt to address overcrowding in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC). Currently, all DCC schools are over capacity, including Blair. Lilia Lash, a sophomore at Blair, feels that this is noticeable. “I think Blair is really overcrowded and it makes me avoid the main hallway which is way slower to class,” she said. Blair junior Sophie Pranio agrees. “The hallways are super overcrowded and it feels like there are way too many people in this school, ” Priano said. see NORTHWOOD page A4 NEWS
Blair Principal to retire
Renay Johnson will retire at the end of the school year, marking the end of her 13 year run as Principal. A3
Performers are also drawn to the production’s alternate function: to serve as a space for Black students to express themselves. “It’s very important for the African American community at Blair that we feel like we have a space; we feel like we have a place where we can truly be ourselves … and say [that] this is what we do [and] this is who we are,” Student Director Hannah Germain, who is a junior at Blair, adds. “Sankofa … is whatever you want it to be; [any performer] can take it and turn it into their own [thing].” Sankofa 2024 rehearsals started after winter break, and continued on a near daily basis leading up to the show. In addition to rehearsals, crew members also meticulously prepared the stage for the threedate performance. “We installed a room backstage so that it gives the stage some depth … Most recently I’ve been building platforms for the lights to be mounted on backstage, so it hasn’t really been stuff that people will see, but it’s stuff that’s necessary for the show,” Assistant Stage Manager Guillermo Cuesta says. “We’re like Batman.” The production is a combination of theater, song, and dance elements, where scenes alternate
between different art forms to depict an annual theme—in this year’s case, “Black Resistance and Triumph.” Its play scenes focus on how Black Americans resist racial prejudice through hairstyles derived from Black cultural heritage. The play follows the staff and patrons of the fictional Davis brothers’ barbershop in present-day New York City, each of whom navigate racial injustice and the struggle to remain true to their roots. The scenes are sprinkled throughout the other acts of the performance, ultimately emphasizing the importance of community among Black Americans. Outside of the theater aspect of the production, Sankofa seeks to highlight a myriad of cultures through various mediums. Coly-Boateng describes the greater performance as a celebration of all Black culture. “We cover a lot of the [constituent] cultures: we cover African culture; we cover African American culture; we cover Ethiopian culture; West African dance; we cover step [dance],” she says. “[It’s] a lot of things that really make us, as a population, who we are.”
OPINIONS
FEATURES
SPORTS
True crime entertainment must take on a greater ethical responsibility. B3
A look into chicken owners in the community. D4
How fantasy football gained it’s status as a beloved activity. F1
In Blair’s 2024 Sankofa performance, junior Danielle Coly-Boateng plays the fictional role of Angela Parker, a regular at a Black-owned barbershop who faces discrimination from her employer due to her hair. But her connection to Parker extends beyond a role in a play. “It’s a very liberating topic to take up and put into a performance form [and] I think I can relate to [it],” she says. Annual Sankofa shows have run continuously at Blair for 12 years, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time, the production has attracted countless student performers interested in its unique themes. “I think we would not get as many [actors] if we did [a different play like] ‘The Color Purple,’ but we’d still get Black people because they’d want to celebrate themselves. They’d still see more of themselves in that than they do in [other plays],” Sankofa Director and Blair Science Department head Summer Roark says. “I think people want to do things that are more relevant to what’s happening today.”
Ethics of true crime
Local chickens
see SANKOFA page E1
Fantasy football