My Experience Hosting a TEDx Conference
By Madison Hurr, Senior Writer
April 20, 2016
A year ago, I never would have thought that I’d be hosting a TEDx conference. Being up on stage introducing Emmy Award-winning journalists and successful entrepreneurs at an official TED event–it felt surreal. Watching and participating in an event I have been helping to plan all year come to life w...
Glenstone: Local Art Museum is Worth a Visit
By Madison Hurr, Features Editor
March 22, 2016
Interested in modern art museums but don’t want to make the trek to D.C. or New York City? Look no further than Glen Road. Spanning 200 acres of natural landscape, contemporary art and architecture, the Glenstone museum, located a mere four miles from CHS, is the perfect destination for art aficionados...
“Raincheck” to Bring Back Business to Chipotle
By Madison Hurr, Features Editor
February 10, 2016
With the recent nationwide E. coli scare at Chipotle, many customers have been refraining from eating Chipotle burritos. Over 500 people in 13 different states fell ill. Stock values for Chipotle plummeted, trading 40 percent lower than its record high last year. After temporarily closing on ...
Emoji Word of the Year Earns a Thumbs Down
By Madison Hurr, Features Editor
January 4, 2016
With the close of the year 2015, Oxford Dictionary released its annual Word of the Year...but wait, it’s not even a word? Oxford Dictionary recently named the “tears of joy” emoji the 2015 Word of the Year, as SwiftKey, a mobile technology business, found it to be the most used emoji this year,...
CHS Students React to New School Start Times
By Madison Hurr and Arjun Swaminathan
September 29, 2015
You’re staring at the clock… it’s 2:09. Just one more minute until the bell rings. Just one more minute until you are free. But wait, you remember that school now ends at 2:30. Since the 20-minute delay in school start times, MCPS high school students have had an extra 20 minutes to sleep in. “To...
Summer House brings West Coast to Bethesda
By Madison Hurr, Features Editor
May 26, 2015
Walking into Summer House: Santa Monica, I was immediately transported to the West Coast. The food and decor earned five out of five stars, as the restaurant offered a wide variety of dishes and a cool, relaxed atmosphere. Summer House: Santa Monica opened in Pike & Rose in North Bethesda about...
Seniors share wisdom with the Class of 2016
By Madison Hurr, Features Editor
May 21, 2015
As the Class of 2015 is getting ready to graduate, the Class of 2016 is preparing to fill their place as the top dogs of high school: the seniors. Most seniors can say that these past four years of high school flew by. The Observer asks this year's seniors for words of wisdom for the inco...
Follow these tips for an Insta-game ‘on fleek’
By Thomas Atkinson and Madison Hurr
April 28, 2015
As Facebook’s popularity is declining, Instagram’s is rising exponentially. Instagram allows anyone with a smartphone to become an amateur photographer. Here are some tips to making your Instagram profile the best it can be. Theme: Square vs. Rectangle To keep your Instagram page consistent and aest...
CHS hosts first Student Author Night
By Madison Hurr and Arjun Swaminathan
February 7, 2015
The CHS Educational Foundation held a student author book showcasing and signing event Feb. 4 featuring CHS seniors Sammi Silber and Elina Kapoor and SMOB representative and Clarksburg HS senior Dahlia Huh. The student authors discussed the writing and editing process, their inspiration and the plots...
5K’s for the summer
By Madison Hurr, Arts Editor
May 30, 2014
If you want to get in shape but think of running as a strenuous, boring activity, think again. 5Ks are the perfect opportunity for getting your cardio workout in while having a blast with friends in a fun environment. Several unique 5K races are coming to the DC area soon. The Observer has compiled a list...
College Board makes much-needed changes to SAT
By Alissa Li and Madison Hurr
April 21, 2014
Three letters, one test. The SAT. For lucky test takers, this dreaded test that is imperative for college admissions is completing transforming in spring 2016. In early March, College Board announced that it will change the entire structure of the test that millions of students have been tirelessly prepa...
Model UN takes annual trip to D.C. conference
By Madison Hurr, Production Editor
February 25, 2014
The Model United Nations club took its annual trip to the 51st North American Invitational Model UN conference (NAIMUN) in Washington, D.C. from Feb. 13-17. This year will be the club’s eighth year attending the conference. After winning several awards last year and being named a competitive delegation...